Why do you hate me?
by Mithril
Summary: After twentytwo years, Jareth finally has the perfect opportunity to get his revenge and make Sarah suffer. He decides to kidnap her youngest sister, Lili. Unfortunately for him, things do not go as he has planned them...
1. Why 1

Disclaimer: 

Disclaimer: Labyrinth Universe and Characters are from Jim Henson.

No copyright infringement is intended. The idea is mine.

Author:Mithril (perretta@entelchile.net) March 2001.

Note:A big thanks to Angeline, Maribel and Daisy for beta-reading my story J

Title:Why do you hate me?

Rating:PG-13

Summary:After twenty-two years, Jareth finally has the perfect opportunity to get his revenge and make Sarah suffer. He decides to kidnap her youngest sister, Lili. Unfortunately for him, things do not go as he has planned them...

Why do you hate me?

"You have no power over me!" she exclaimed in a mocking voice.

"NO!" he yelled.

"Oh, yes!" she insisted. "I win, you lose. Poor king, foolish king..."

"NO!" Jareth screamed again, waking up and sitting bolt upright on his bed. He blinked and looked around. After realizing where he was, he leaned back on the headboard and shook his head. Again, he had had that disgusting dream about his defeat. Even awake he could still hear Sarah's laughter!

Annoyed to no end, the Goblin King created a crystal sphere and threw it violently to the wall. He smiled slightly at the sound the crystal made when it crushed against the cold stone. However, his grin soon faded and he sank again into despair. For how long would he be having these stupid nightmares?

"You will pay for this, Sarah! You will regret the day we met!" he shouted, pulling the covers over his head.

The next morning, Jareth woke up with a decidedly awful mood. In fact, he was so annoyed, that he didn't waste time in taking a shower and dressing himself. Instead, he just used his magic. In a second, he was clean, shaven and dressed in his regular outfit: gray tights, white pirate shirt and black boots. He looked at his reflection in the mirror and, with a satisfied smirk, he strode out, slamming the heavy door behind him.

A few minutes later, he entered the dining room, where his breakfast was already served on the huge table. He took his usual seat at the head of the table, and eyed, disgusted, the food placed before him. The toast was burnt and the eggs overdone. He also knew the cake would be hard as a rock, the butter frozen, the coffee cold and the orange juice warm. To put it in one word, it was inedible. With a tired sigh, he waved a hand and a delicate crystal sphere appeared floating over the table. The magical object exploded and a sparkling mist covered the meal, changing it into a banquet.

He distractedly took a piece of cake, but did not eat it. Instead, he returned it to the dish and leaned back on his chair. He tiredly ran a hand through his silky blond hair. Every day it was the same. Every day the goblins would serve him some uneatable food and he would have to change it. Jareth angrily hit the table with his fist. He was the King, not the cook!

Losing his appetite, he rose and shook his head at the sight of the mark he had left on the dusty seat. He rolled his eyes, he had forgotten to clean the chair before sitting down. Why did his subjects have to be so messy? He snapped his fingers and the dust vanished. It seemed that he served as the maid as well!

Jareth was so focused on his depressing thoughts, that he had not noticed the small, colorful, goblin that had entered the room a couple of minutes ago. The frightened creature smoothed his bright yellow shirt and cleared his throat, as if gathering enough courage to speak.

"You... your... Highness," he managed to say.

"What?" Jareth barked, annoyed by the interruption. The goblin went a couple of steps back. "Well, Pete?" the King prompted arrogantly, suppressing a smile at Pete's obvious fear.

The creature shuddered under the King's icy stare. "It's the bog... your Majesty," said Pete.

"What about the bog?" he asked, trying hard to control his temper.

"It's losing it's content. The Bog of Eternal Stench has a filtration, sire," Pete explained in an intelligent manner -for a goblin, of course.

"What!" Jareth exclaimed, taking a hand to his temples, feeling the beginning of a wonderful headache.

The dwarf gave him a curious glance and cleared his throat again. "The Bog of Eternal--"

"Shut up, you idiot!" Jareth interrupted him. "I will take care of it. Now leave me... and do something with your shirt. It offends my eyes!"

Pete bowed and quickly left his king, happy to still being in one piece... and briefly wondering what could be wrong with his shirt.

Jareth followed the little thing with an amused gaze, but soon became serious. He had a "nice date" with the Bog of Eternal Stench. He sighed deeply. This was proving to be one of those days... And it was all Sarah's fault!

From Jareth's point of view, everything bad, disgusting or annoying that happened in his kingdom, was Sarah's fault. In spite of all the time -and lovers- that he had gone through –twenty-two years worth- he was still very mad at her. At first, he had comforted his beaten ego by telling himself that Sarah would be lost and miserable without him. However, as time went by, Sarah demonstrated to him how wrong he had been in his assumption. To his dismay, she had become a successful actress -and also a very talented one, although he would never admit it. And, as if that were not enough, she seemed to have completely forgotten him! Ten years after his labyrinth, she had dared to marry one of the wealthiest men of her country. At the same time she was saying "I do", the Underground was suffering one of the most violent storms its inhabitants had ever seen.

Jareth shook his head and balled his gloved hands into fists in an attempt to quiet his thoughts. He smiled evilly; soon he would think of the prefect revenge... but now, there was a kingdom to take care off.

In a blink of an eye, the Goblin King changed into a white owl and flew away through the open window. Maybe the soothing wind against his body would clear his mind.

******

The pregnant woman stood by the window of her room, looking outside. Hearing footsteps behind, she turned. A smile lit up her face when she saw who it was.

"Hey, I was trying to surprise you," her husband chided in a gentle tone.

She tilted her head. "You did surprise me, Michael," she replied sweetly. "I thought you would go to work today. Your meetings--"

She could not continue as Michael placed a finger over her lips. "My whole empire can live without me for a day, but I cannot live without you both. I love you, Sarah," he whispered, and pulling her closer, he kissed her.

******

A couple of hours later, after having fixed the bog problem, Jareth returned to his castle and immediately headed to the throne room. As always, the place was a mess, dirty and filled with goblins. Fighting the impulse to simply vaporize them, he just shot them a murderous glare. Without losing time, they hurried out of the chamber, leaving their master alone with his dark mood.

__

*That is much better,* Jareth thought, walking to his throne. He was about to sit down, when he noticed the thick layer of dust that covered his royal throne. Rolling his eyes, he produced a handkerchief out of nowhere and cleaned it. Once finished, he just threw the cloth over his shoulder. It disappeared before reaching the floor.

He sat down and tried to relax. Then, with a wave of his hand, a crystal materialized before him. After a moment of concentration, the image of a beautiful pregnant woman appeared in the magical device...

******

"Are you ready, honey?" Michael asked his wife. "The limo is waiting outside."

"Sure," Sarah said, emerging from the bathroom, wearing a simple blue dress.

Michael just looked at his beloved wife with wide opened eyes. "You... you are stunning!" he whispered in awe.

Sarah blushed. "Oh, come on, this is only an old dress," she replied seriously, but deeply pleased. She approached him and embraced him, leaning her head on his chest. "I am so happy Lili has agreed to spend her holidays here. Since she entered the Med. School, she has been so focussed on her studies that sometimes I believe she doesn't know how to have fun. All that she wants is to be a doctor and help people, but she forgets about herself. Hey, she's only twenty-one years old!" Sarah paused for a moment and then continued. "Well, she will have fun... even if I have to make her! Oh! I just can't wait to see my baby sister, Michael. Thank you so much for inviting her!"

He stroked her raven hair and chuckled. "Are you kidding?" Lili is like my sister too and I totally agree with you. That girl needs to shake herself up and we'll see to that. Lili will enjoy her time here. I already told Lucy to prepare Lili's favorite room," he said softly.

Sarah raised her head and met his tender gaze. "Thank you," she repeated with shining eyes. "You know how much I love my sister. I got to practice my maternal instincts on her," she added with a grin, placing both hands on her round stomach.

"Yes, Sarah. I know you love her... but... do you know how much I love you?" he asked, placing his hands over hers.

She smiled mischievously. "Mmm, now that you ask so..."

He raised a bemused eyebrow. "Well, Mrs. Byron, let me show you," he said in a seductive voice, holding her chin and kissing her.

"Wait," Sarah began to protest, gently pulling him back. "The plane..."

"We still have plenty of time," he insisted, kissing her again.

******

"NO!" Jareth shouted at the scene, throwing the sphere he had been holding to the floor.

How did Sara dare to be so happy and beautiful when he was so... miserable?

He sighed. Yes, she was beautiful. She had barely aged, she had not a single wrinkle around her eyes and not a single white hair... and if that were not enough, she was pregnant! HE, who could not produce a single heir and she dared to be pregnant! 

He shook his head. It did not matter though, now that he knew what to do. Sarah's conversation with her... husband, had been very enlightening. An evil grin spread on his face.

"Well, dear Sarah, it seems that your sister will have to pay for all what you did to me," he whispered darkly. "And by making her suffer, you will be hurt. You will remember me! Such a pity."

True, he could take that Michael away or wait a couple of months for the birth and then take the infant away, but that would not be as... amusing. Yes. Lili Williams was the perfect target... and if she turned out to be like Sarah... well, that would add an extra bonus.

Unable to stop himself and deeply excited by his plan, he burst into cruel laughter.

******

"There she is, Michael!" Sarah exclaimed, "Lili!" Sarah waved her arms frantically as she spotted her sister. 

They were at the airport and the plane had arrived twenty minutes ago. Thanks to Michael's influences, Lili had been the first one to disembark. 

"Lili!" Sarah called her sister again.

Hearing her name, a slender young woman with chin-length red hair, dressed in jeans and a loose T-shirt, turned where Sarah and Michael stood. The redhead smiled. "Sarah! Michael!" Lili yelled, running toward her sister.

"I am so happy you are here, little one," Sarah said with misty eyes, tenderly embracing her 'little' sister.

"I am happy to be here," Lili said and then took her hand to Sarah's round belly. "I can't believe I am going to be an aunt," she added in awe.

"And a very beautiful one, may I add," Michael said sincerely, though with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

Lili blushed and rolled her eyes. "Hi, Michael," she greeted him, giving him a bear hug.

"Welcome, carrot head," he said kindly, stroking her hair. "My dear ladies," he added then, "I suggest that we leave," he finished, indicating the people who had begun to gather around them.

"Wow! I have forgotten how famous you are, Sarah," Lili said, impressed. The admiration she felt for her sister was clearly visible in her amber eyes.

"Indeed," Michael agreed, giving his wife a loving look.

Sarah chuckled and grabbed their arms. "Yeah, let's go."

"So tell me, Michael, how is life being married to a star?" Lili asked him while they were walking toward the limo.

"It's like being in heaven," Michael answered without hesitation, earning a tender glance from a blushing Sarah.

"Oh my God! Where did you find this man, girl?" Lili teased her, imitating her mother's tone.

Sarah stopped and looked intently at her. "He is one of a kind, Lili, but I assure you that you will meet your soul mate some day."

Lili blinked and shrugged, as if saying "yeah, sure". Sarah smiled and continued walking, pulling Lili and Michael along with her.

******

Thirty minutes later, they arrived at the beautiful mansion. As they entered, Lili watched everything wide opened eyes. "Wow! Everything is just like I remember it."

"You haven't seen anything yet," Sarah told her. "Come on, let me show you your room," she added happily, taking Lili's hand.

"The one with the roses?" Lili asked in an almost childish fashion.

Sarah nodded and then turned to Michael. "Would excuse us, honey?"

He made a little bow and sighed dramatically. "I know, I know. It's girls talk time. I will be waiting for you in the garden."

"Thank you," Sarah said, "and this is much better. This is sister talk," she finished with a mischievous wink.

Sarah led Lili to her room; it was located in the second floor. When they entered, the young woman smiled in delight. The chamber was amazing. The wallpaper was of a soft shade of green that matched the curtains and the carpeting. It was furnished with a bed, a comfortable armchair, a desk, a night table and a hand carved wardrobe. 

Lili took off her shoes to feel the soft carpet under her feet. Without saying a word, she went to the balcony and stepped out. To her delight, the balustrades were covered with climbing white roses. That was why this room was her favorite.

"Do you like it?" Sarah asked, standing by her side.

"Are you kidding? I love it!" Lili exclaimed.

With a grin, Sarah held her sister's hand and guided her inside. "You must tell me everything, little one. How are Karen, dad and Toby?" the brunette asked, sitting on the bed.

Lili giggled and sat next to her older sister. "Please, don't call me little one," she begged and then continued. "They are okay and they send you their love. Did you know that Toby has a new girlfriend?"

"Again!" Sarah exclaimed, laughing.

"Yes," Lili replied, laughing too. Their brother was a true ladies man. "That's why he didn't come with me. He is too... busy right now," she added with a wink.

"And what about you, little... I mean Lili?" Sarah asked, looking intently at her.

Lili ran a hand through her short hair and shrugged. "My classes are going fine, I really like them. Three of my professors asked me to help them to teach the lower courses and I agreed," she said, even though she knew that was not precisely what Sarah wanted to know.

Sarah raised and eyebrow and took a hand to her chin. "I know that, Lili. A very proud Karen wrote me telling me you had gained a full ride scholarship; not that it surprised me. You have always been brilliant. I am proud and happy for you, little one, but that was not what I asked."

Lili became serious and lowered her head. "You already know me, Sarah," the redhead said in a low voice. "I am not like you or Toby. I just can't..."

She just finished with a helpless shrug.

Sarah embraced her tenderly. "Intelligence had always scared men, but don't worry, little one. You'll find one, I promise."

Lili smiled. "You are still such a dreamer, sis," Lili said, shaking her head. "Besides, being a doctor ... just doesn't leave much time for a personal life," Lili added, always practical.

"How convenient," Sarah said, rolling her eyes. "And now you will tell me you brought some books with you."

Lili smiled innocently. "Well, now that you mention it, 'Human Anatomy' is the best--"

"Lili!" Sarah exclaimed in mocking horror. "I didn't invite you to study! I want you to have fun. In fact I know one or two candidates that would be more than pleased to meet you and--"

"Sarah!" Lili interrupted her, flushing and, very embarrassed, she just lay her head in Sarah's shoulder. "Okay, I promise I will not open my books, but please! Tell me you're joking. Remember what happened the last time you tried to set me up!"

Sarah chuckled. "He seemed normal to me. How was I supposed to know he had that peculiar... relation with his car?"

"Sarah! The man was in love with his car! He talked about cars the whole time!"

The pregnant woman tilted her head and her eyes twinkled mischievously. "Oh, but I do know a couple of handsome young men..."

"No," Lili said softly. "I don't want to meet them. I want to spend my time with you and Michael."

"Okay, okay," Sarah said kindly, smiling. "See? You are still my little one... and that will never change."

Lili raised her head and smiled. "I know," she admitted and then took a hand to her neck. "Do you remember this?" she asked, showing Sarah a delicate necklace with a medal, the image of the Mother and the Child on it. "You gave me this when I was born, twenty-one years ago.

Sarah nodded and a tender grin played on her face. That was the only piece of jewelry Lili ever wore. "Of course I do. I spent all my money on that gift. I wanted to give you something extra-special," she answered dreamily. "So I made them write an inscription on the back."

"Be happy, Little One," Lili quoted.

Sarah's grin widened. "At that time, I didn't know if I would have a sister or a brother," she explained, "and then you came, such a cute, little, redheaded baby," she added, rubbing Lili's cheek.

"It's okay," Lili said between giggles. "Just don't call me that in public."

"As you wish... Little One," the brunette replied mischievously.

Lili rolled her eyes and was about to add something else, when someone knocked the door.

"Come in," Sarah said.

The door opened, and a young woman about Lili's age, entered. She carried her purse in one hand and a dish with cookies in the other. Sarah smiled kindly. "Come in, Lucy."

"Mrs. Byron," Lucy began to say, walking toward them, "before leaving I thought you would like some coo--"

Her sentence broke off as she stumbled over Lili's shoes and dropped the tray of cookies.

"I'm so sorry," a troubled Lucy apologized. "I--"

"No, please. It was my fault," Lili interrupted her, kneeling down and crawling under the bed to pick up the fallen cookies...

******

After having eating his noonday meal -which he had obviously made with magic- and taking a nap, Jareth returned to the throne room. Once comfortably seated, he smiled sinisterly and materialized a crystal sphere in his hand.

__

*Time to meet Lili Williams*, he thought, already savoring his revenge.

In a second, the sphere showed him the image of two women standing in a bedroom. One of them was Sarah and the younger one -he assumed- was Lili. He focussed his attention on her. She was slender, with shoulder-length brown hair. After a moment, he shook his head, disappointed. Even though the girl was pleasing, she completely lacked Sarah's startling beauty and personality.

__

*Such a pity*, he thought, throwing the sphere to the floor. "Well, you just cannot have everything," he muttered shrugging. Then, he rose from his throne and an evil grin spread on his face. _*I have a comfortable oubliette waiting for you, dear Lili... among other things...*_ he thought darkly as he disappeared in the middle of a sparkling mist.

******

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Lucy apologized again.

"It's okay, Lucy," Sarah soothed her maid, patting her arm.

"I will clean--"

"Of course not!" Lili interrupted her, crawling out under the bed. "It was my fault. I'll clean up this mess."

"Yes," Sarah agreed. "Go out Lucy. This is your day off and I'll bet you have a handsome boyfriend waiting for you," the pregnant woman teased her.

Lili chuckled. Not even Lucy had escaped from Sarah's matchmaking mode.

Lucy blushed and, after saying good-bye, she left the room. Sarah followed her with an amused gaze and then looked down at Lili, who was still knelt picking up the cookies.

"See, Little One? That's what happens when you leave your shoes lying around," she said in her best older sister tone, but with a hint of mischief.

Lili raised her head, rolled her eyes and then continued with her job.

"Do you mind if I join Michael in the garden?" the brunette asked.

Lili looked at her again and smiled. "Of course not. I will be ready in a couple of minutes... unless you prefer I take a little longer..." she said with a wink.

Sarah laughed. "Just hurry up," she said and, after patting her sister's head, she left.

Five minutes later, Lili had picked up all the cookies and put them over on the desk. Curious and a little bit hungry, she decided to try one of the few cookies that had not fallen to the floor. She took a bite... and immediately ran to the bathroom. They tasted like soap!

******

Surrounded by the ever-present glitter, the Goblin King appeared in all his glory in the same room that the crystal had showed him earlier.

He glanced around and sighed impatiently. Where was that stupid girl? As if answering his unspoken question, he heard the flush of a toilet.

He blinked in surprise, then smiled wickedly. Running a hand through his blond hair, he prepared himself to meet Sarah's sister, assuming his best seductive mode. The poor girl had not a chance...

The door of the bathroom opened... and his smile faded as he saw an unknown, redheaded young woman holding a glass of water.

******

Feeling better again, Lili washed her face and teeth. 

__

*Thank God Sarah doesn't like cookies*, Lili thought, shuddering. How in the world had Lucy confused soap with sugar?

She filled a glass with water, opened the door... and froze at the sight before her. Astonished, she let go the glass.

In the middle of her room stood a strangely dressed man -in tights!- with spiky blond hair. He was tall and slender and seemed to be just as surprised as she was.

Lili had the very upsetting feeling that he was not one of Sarah's or Michael's friends. 

"Who... who... are... you?" she managed to ask.

Jareth forced himself to recover and smiled evilly again. "I am Jareth, the Goblin King and you, young woman, are in the wrong place in the wrong time," he said seriously. Then, his gaze darkened. "Now, where is she?" he asked.

Completely taken aback, Lili didn't see a handsome man; she only saw a dangerous stranger. She just watched him wide opened eyes, wondering if there was a mental institution near Sarah's house. She also wondered what a goblin was and who –'She'- was.

"Well?" he prompted icily, approaching her.

Lili went a step back, scared. "I... don't know whom are you... talking about," she answered and, at the murderous look he gave her, she cleared her throat and swallowed. "Perhaps if you tell me her name... I would be able to help you... your Majesty," she added in the most respectful tone that she could manage. If that insane, dangerous man believed himself to be a king, she would not contradict him.

Jareth stopped and looked intently at her, as if trying to tell if she was teasing him or not... and it seemed that she was being serious. "I am looking for Lili Williams," he answered at last.

Lili paled and a chill ran through her body. What could that man possibly want with her? She had never seen him before! "Why? What do you want with her?" she asked in a barely audible voice, unable to stop herself.

"That is not of your concern!" Jareth barked. "Where is she?" he repeated. He waved a hand and, to Lili's astonishment, a crystal sphere appeared floating before her.

"How... how did you do that?" she asked in awe, realizing that he might be what he had claimed to be... Not that the idea comforted her.

The Goblin King just shrugged. "Magic," he said matter-of-factly.

"Magic?" she repeated, looking at him in disbelief. Then, at his warning glare, she returned her attention to the crystal and blinked in surprise; there was the image... of Lucy!

"So, where is Lili Williams?" Jareth suddenly whispered in her ear.

Startled, Lili screamed and jumped away from him, but in doing so, she accidentally broke the crystal. "Sorry," she apologized, biting her lower lip.

Jareth sighed and created another sphere, although this time he held it. "I am starting to lose my patience, child," he said in a warning tone. "Where is she?" he asked again, raising his hand to her eye level. "And do not dare to lie to me. I shall know if you do so," he hissed.

Lili shuddered under his cold stare, still not believing such a thing was happening to her. What would she do now? For a reason beyond comprehension, that weird and dangerously powerful... king thought that Lucy was her... and she could clearly tell how much he hated Lili Williams... her. She simply could not tell him the truth... or could she?

She took a deep breath and cleared her throat. "The woman that appears in the sphere is not here... your Majesty," she answered honestly enough.

"What!" Jareth exclaimed in frustration, throwing the sphere to the wall. "You are lying!" he stated and, in a quick movement he rudely grabbed her wrist.

"She is not here!" Lili exclaimed, desperately meeting his mismatched eyes.

Seeing the fear and pain in her eyes, he softened his gaze and finally released her. For an odd reason, he felt unexplainably... guilty. With a deep sigh, he sat on the bed, his head between his hands. "Just my luck," he muttered, all his previous excitement gone.

Once free, Lili rubbed her aching wrist and thought of running away, but then, she realized she could not leave that man alone in the house. What if Sarah saw him? In her present condition, it was better for her sister to avoid unpleasant situations... and besides... he looked so devastated...

"Are you all right, your Majesty?" she asked softly.

Jareth raised his head and gave her a surprised stare. Why did she treat him with such respect and kindness... after he had been so rude? He was used to stormy eyes and defiant words -and screams. Every time a girl had called him, he--

The king abruptly stopped that train of thought and opened his eyes wide. Of course! She had not summoned him. In fact, he realized she had never heard about him. She was not one of the dreamy girls who had fantasies about him. 

He smiled as an idea occurred to him... Maybe the visit had not been in vain...

"What is it your name, child?" Jareth asked, rising form the bed.

Lili unconsciously went a step back. "I... Li... Lucy," she answered, hoping he had not noticed her hesitation.

"Can you cook?" he asked then, a strange twinkle in his eyes.

Puzzled, she just nodded.

"Good," he said, almost in a sinister way. He approached her until they were separate by a couple of centimeters. "As I told you before, you are in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"What do you mean?" she asked, not liking his tone... not to mention his nearness.

"I mean, Lucy, that Sarah will have to get herself another maid," he explained, amused. "You will come with me." 

"What!" Lili almost yelled in disbelief. He thought she was Sarah's maid and ... he wanted... to take her with him! "You... you just can't go around kidnapping people!" she managed to say, even though she had the strong feeling he could do whatever he wanted to. "They will send the police after you!" To her astonishment and annoyance, he burst into laughter. 

Jareth simply could not stop laughing. Indeed she had no clue of who he was. Suddenly, he became serious. She was right. He did not want to alert Sarah or her sister of his presence. Without a second thought, he conjured another sphere. This one, however, it was bigger and had a blue-golden glow. He sent it, floating, to her.

Lili watched the crystal approaching and tried to move away, but she was frozen.

"Do not worry, it will not hurt," Jareth said in a soothing tone that surprised him.

To Lili's despair and panic, the sphere suddenly entered her head. Feeling that she had cotton instead of brains and deeply afraid, she closed her eyes and a single tear slid down her cheek.

"Enough," Jareth commanded. As strange as it was, he did not enjoy her fear.

The crystal left her head and she could finally move. Lili opened her eyes and blinked; nothing seemed different with her. Unable to stop herself, she raised a hand to touch the glowing object.

"I would not do that if I were you," Jareth warned her. He extended his hand and the sphere went obediently to him. "If this crystal is broken, you will die."

"What have you done to me?" Lili asked seriously, taking a hand to her temples. "You had no right!" she stated, her fear momentarily forgotten.

Jareth raised a bemused eyebrow at her sudden anger. "You are wrong, Lucy. I can do what ever it pleases me," he said. Then he carefully held the sphere. "This crystal holds your life, your memories," he explained, causing it to vanish with a casual wave.

"But... I still remember," Lili whispered.

He shook his head. "You do not understand. I did not erase your memories. I just erased your existence from Earth. No one will ever remember you." Before she could say a word, he grabbed her wrist again, although not in such a rude way as before. "Well, time to leave, Lucy," he said. "I shall take care of Lili Williams later," he added evilly.

"Where?" Lili asked in a small voice.

"To my kingdom of course," he answered matter-of-factly.

Lili sighed, defeated. "Please wait," she begged, resigned by now. What could she possibly do against someone like him? "I need my shoes and the rest of my things," she said, indicating him her sneakers and her bag.

Jareth rolled his eyes. A second later, Lili had her shoes on her feet and the bag on her shoulder. "Enough of talking," he ordered as a warm, sparkling wind began to blow. "Say good bye to your world... forever."

Lili bit her lip and closed her eyes. _*Sarah...*_ she whispered in her mind, just before disappearing... 

******

When the wind stopped blowing and the floor felt solid again, Lili opened one eye and then the other. Her jaw fell open.

"Welcome to my castle," Jareth suddenly announced, proud and amused by the girl startled expression. "This is the throne room."

Overwhelmed by the recent events, Lili just nodded. She stood in the middle of a huge chamber; the floor and the walls were made of stone, furnished only with a throne. Yes, it was a huge... dusty chamber. Lili began to sneeze uncontrollably.

"Here," Jareth said, slightly annoyed, handing her a handkerchief.

"Thank you," Lili replied and was about to add something else, when she noticed strange creatures of all sizes and colors, running -and jumping- all around. "What are they?" she asked, her scientific mind momentarily putting her fear aside.

He seemed surprised by her question, but then shrugged. "They are goblins."

Lili blinked as a sudden realization hit her. "Now I see... they're your goblins, your subjects," she said, looking at him, unable to stop a grin drawing on her face.

Jareth just stared at her. A small part of him thought her pleasant smile was oddly familiar, but the biggest part of him was annoyed by her comment. He felt his cheeks flushing with anger. Was she laughing at him? Was she... suicidal?

At his angered expression, Lili became instantly serious. "Oh, but... but they are... kind of funny... your Majesty," she respectfully added.

"Funny!" he exclaimed, still angry, but not as much as before. "Funny?" he repeated in disbelief.

Lili nervously ran a hand through her short hair and bit her lower lip. "Yes... I didn't mean to... offend you, sire," she apologized. "I am sorry. I--"

Lili stopped when she suddenly heard a scream behind her. Sounding vaguely like a "Watch out!" She turned and saw something flying toward her. Realizing the danger, she quickly moved out of the way. The annoyed Goblin King however, did not see the unidentified flying object...

"They are not funny!" he barked. "They are stupid, ugly crea--" 

The huge ball of mud -or something similar- that came to land on his face unceremoniously interrupted him. Immediately, the room went deadly -and unusually- quiet. All the goblins froze and looked at their master with wide, terrified eyes.

Beyond anger now, Jareth magically clean himself. He shot Lili a cold do-not-dare-to laugh stare and then turned to the frightened creatures. "And who is the responsible of this sacrilege?" he asked in an icy, calmed voice.

As one, the goblins went a step back, leaving two trembling dwarves to answer their king's questions.

"Well?" Jareth prompted.

The creatures exchanged scared glances and then began to discuss the matter between them, apparently forgetting their angry master.

"It was your fault!" one of them exclaimed.

"No!" You did it!" the other one replied.

"I did not!"

"Yes you did!"

"I did not!"

"Enough!" Jareth suddenly yelled, losing his patience.

The two goblins stiffened. "Your... Majesty... we--"

"Just shut up!" the king added, snapping his fingers. In the blink of an eye, the two unfortunate creatures disappeared. "Yes! Now I feel better," he said, turning to a speechless Lili, a satisfied smirk on his face.

"What... happened to them?" she managed to ask.

His smile widened, "I only send them to the Bog of Eternal Stench," he answered simply. "There is where I... send foolish goblins -or people- who do not obey my orders. Not a pretty place, believe me, Lucy," he added in a warning tone.

Lili quickly nodded, definitely not wanting to know more about it.

"Good," he said. Then, he grabbed her wrist again and, with a wave of a hand, they disappeared. A second later, they materialized in a huge chamber; Lili realized it was the dining room. A large, elegant table was located in the center and a beautiful chandelier made of sparkling crystal hung above it. The chairs had an emblem -an ethereal owl with a crystal on its forehead- embroidered on the back. Delicate tapestries of unicorns and dreamy landscapes covered the walls. Everything was covered with dust.

"The tapestries are amazing," Lili whispered in awe.

"They are just tapestries," Jareth said in a bored tone and then raised his hand to disappear again.

"No, please," Lili stopped him, grabbing his arm. "Can we just walk? I'm not feeling well."

"Walking is for mortals," he stated, looking at her slender hand on his arm with surprise.

Lili blinked and withdrew her hand. Then, it hit her. "Mortals?" she repeated, tilting her head questioningly.

He smiled, amused by her puzzled expression. "Yes. You are only a human, but I am one of the Fey, immortal and incredibly powerful," he explained solemnly, beaming with pride. "Magic is within me."

With that, he raised his hand for a second time, but Lili interrupted him again.

"I am a mortal," she stated, taking her hand to her stomach. "Please, " she begged and, feeling suddenly very dizzy, she dropped her bag and, in spite of herself, she had to lean against him.

Jareth seemed taken aback for a second, but then sighed and gently guided her to a chair. "Here," he said, materializing a glass of water in her hand.

"Thank... you." She took a small sip and left the glass over the table. "I don't know what happened to me," she added, embarrassed.

"It is the magic," Jareth explained, putting a hand to his chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps the sphere spell I cast on you has unexpected side effects. Maybe this is all the magic your body can handle. How strange."

Without another word, he went to the door. Shaking her head, Lili rose from the seat, picked up her bag and followed him.

As they walked through the castle, Lili watching everything wide opened eyes. It was so big!

"This is the library," Jareth declared unnecessarily, as they entered a chamber filled with bookshelves. 

Lili loved to read and at the sight of so many books, a smile lit up her face. There was a chandelier similar to the one she had seen before; comfortable armchairs were located near the fireplace and tapestries hung on the walls, with the owl emblem again. Unable to stop herself, she approached one of the shelves and extended her arm to pick up a book, when Jareth spoke.

"You will be able to read only after your duties," he said seriously. "That is if you have time... and energy," he added amusedly.

Frustrated, Lili sighed and lowered her hand. She turned to face him. "Of course, your Majesty," she said respectfully, although with a hint of annoyance. "Only after my duties."

Jareth looked intently at her and, just as it had happened before, he was surprised by her respectful attitude. Indeed she was different from other women he had known.

Lili blushed under the Goblin King stare and shyly lowered her gaze and smoothed her

T-shirt.

Jareth raised a bemused eyebrow at her obvious embarrassment and found himself strangely moved by her reaction. She appeared to be so naive and innocent, just like a child. Perhaps he should have not brought her with him and--

Jareth abruptly stopped that unusual train of thought and stiffened slightly. Now... where that had come from? He had done the right thing in bringing Lucy to his castle. He did need a maid! He shook himself and cleared his throat.

"Come with me," he said seriously, "there are still rooms I want to show you."

Lili nodded, but did not move. She just kept looking at him.

"What is it?" he asked, seeing her troubled expression.

"Will... I have to clean... the whole castle?" she asked in dismay.

Jareth blinked at her question and, amused, he shook his head. "No. It would take a complete army to clean the entire castle. I just want you to clean the rooms I have already showed you and all the ones I shall show you," he answered with a wicked grin.

Lili swallowed hard and nodded; not fully convinced. What kind of answer was that?

The "tour" continued and the next place Jareth showed her was his private study. Compared to the other chambers, this one was clean and not so big. Its walls were veneered in wood and decorated with tapestries. The study was furnished with a hand carved desk, a chair that matched, four leather armchairs, a side table and a shelf filled with books. The floor had thick carpeting and there was a marble fireplace.

Lili admired the room. It was so warm and comfortable that she had to fight the urge to take off her shoes and sit on a coach.

"This is my favorite place in the whole castle," Jareth said, interrupting her appreciation of the chamber. "That is why I want you to keep it extremely clean and tidy."

Lili nodded. "Yes, your Majesty," she answered, unconsciously in a military mode.

Jareth gave her a quick glance and then continued. "Good. The same applies to my private chamber," he added, walking across the study, toward a closed door -not the same one from which they had entered a couple of minutes ago. He opened it and stepped through the doorway.

Lili gave a last look at the beautiful place and then followed him... and gasped. His private room was... well... a king's chamber. It has an inviting balcony and it was big -as was everything in the castle- and solemnly elegant, with the most beautiful and fine piece of furniture she had ever seen. A hand carved desk was placed near the glass doors that led to the balcony together with a chair of the same style. There were two comfortable armchairs located by the fireplace and, over it, hung a painting of Jareth in all his glory. Lili rolled her eyes at the portrait, even in a picture he was surrounded by a powerful aura. Then, her gaze was drawn to the king size bed. The headboard was beautifully carved with delicate figures of flowers and trees, a black comforter lay over the bed and there was a matching night table on each side. She kept on looking and the next thing that caught her attention was a big mirror located at the other side of the room. Curious, she approached and realized it was decorated with small winged dragons, unicorns, castles and little people. She smiled in delight as she suddenly remembered the stories Sarah used to tell her when she was a child. Her grin quickly faded as she realized that, probably, she would never see her sister -or the rest of her family- again. She shook her head and rubbed her eyes to prevent a rebel tear from falling. She then returned her attention to the mirror... and froze. 

"There's no reflection!" Lili exclaimed.

"Of course not. I was wondering when will you notice it," Jareth replied with a hint of amusement. He had been watching intently her inspection of his room, secretly enjoying her awed expression. In spite of his previous words, he too had been a little surprised by her lack of reflection. Maybe the spell he had cast on her had been too powerful. He mentally sighed. That meant he would not be able to use his crystals to check on her or cast any more spells upon her. It seems that his new maid would require some... indulgence from his part. He shook his head. Oh well, he could live with that. His image, however, did appear in the mirror and he fixed his blond hair. "This is a magic mirror and, since you have no magic, it does not recognize you." He paused for a moment and took a hand to his chin in a thoughtful mode. "It seems that magic itself does not recognize you. I wonder if it is so because of my spell or if you were just born like that."

Lili only nodded and continued starring at the mirror.

"Anyway, it does not matter," Jareth said, shrugging. Then he walked to the glass doors and opened them. "Come here, Lucy," he commanded, stepping into the balcony. "This is my kingdom."

Distracted by her lack of reflection and still not used to that name, Lili didn't obey him.

"I am waiting," he insisted, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

Startled, Lili realized he had been talking to her. "Sorry, your Majesty," she apologized, walking toward him. "I--" She abruptly stopped and openly gaped at the incredible sight before her. An enormous maze extended beyond the horizon and she noted the castle was in the center! "A labyrinth!" she exclaimed in awe.

"Yes," Jareth said, unable to hide his pride. "This is my labyrinth, a dangerous and ever changing place where human will is tested," he explained, raising his arms as if he were embracing the maze.

"It is... amazing, Lili whispered and then looked up at him, puzzled. "Test the human will?"

He blinked in surprise at her question and chuckled, his mismatched eyes shone sinisterly. "Remember when I told you about my immortality?" he asked and, at her nod, he continued. "For thousands of years it has been my right to answer the summons and claim all the unwanted children to bring them here to my castle."

"What... do you do... with them?" Lili asked then, not completely sure she would like the answer.

"I turned them into goblins, of course," he said and, at her horrified expression, he rolled his eyes. "Do not look at me like that, child," he said, annoyed, her shocked eyes making him feel uncomfortably... guilty. "I am not a monster. It often happens the summoner has not... really meant it... and when I show up... she or he does not appreciate the effort. However, as generous as I am, I always offer the supplicant his or her dreams or the chance to recover the wished away child..." He paused for a while and a wicked grin spread on his face. " Especially if the summoner is a beautiful young woman... Ah, you would be surprised to know that most of the time they prefer to keep their dreams instead of the child... Oh, yes..." he added in a delighted far away voice, more to himself than her.

"What do they have to do?" Lili asked, looking at him with a raised eyebrow, even though she did have a vague idea. "Your Majesty?" she insisted, as he seemed to be lost in his –most likely wicked- thoughts.

Jareth shook himself, returning to reality and continued in a solemn tone that reminded Lili of her teachers. He spoke just if he were quoting some important lines. "Is that not obvious? In thirteen hours they have to go through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered and find the way here to my castle, beyond the Goblin City... and in the end, they have to deal... with me!"

Lili gasped. "But then they don't have a chance!" she exclaimed. "Your magic is too powerful!"

Deeply pleased by her words, Jareth could not help but smile. "Indeed," he agreed. "They cannot defeat me as I--" 

He abruptly quieted as, unbidden, Sarah's image flashed in his mind. In spite of himself and all his power, he had been defeated only once-- 

Annoyed, he shook his head to vanish that unpleasant memory. "They cannot defeat me," he finished darkly, his eyes shining dangerously.

At his sudden dark mood, Lili unconsciously stepped back and bit her lip, not daring to ask any more questions. The last thing she wanted was to make him mad.

Jareth saw her troubled -and slightly frightened- expression and forced himself to calm down. What was the point on scaring the poor child, his maid, to death? Anyway, it was not her fault after all. Smoothing his shirt, he gave a last gaze to his beloved labyrinth and returned inside the room. "Come with me, Lucy," he said, his dark mood gone.

Lili relaxed and followed him. 

After ten minutes of walking, as their destination seemed to be in the other side of the castle, Jareth stopped before a closed door. He gave her an amused glance and opened it. "This is the kitchen," he said solemnly.

Lili's jaw fell to the floor. The room was enormous and, strangely enough, equipped with all the standard electric appliances of a modern house, including a refrigerator, a stove, a microwave... and -thank God- a dishwasher... But, oh surprise, everything was incredibly dirty. There was a thick layer of grease everywhere and all the frying pans, pots and kettles were too filthy to be used.

"Oh my God," was all that Lili managed to say. Indeed he needed a maid... and that happened to be her!

Jareth had to suppress a chuckle at her comment. "This is the main reason you are here. You will cook for me, wash my clothes and clean up the mess the goblins make," he explained and, without entering, he indicated her a closed door that was near the refrigerator. Inside that closet, you will find all the cleaning stuff. Inside the refrigerator, you will find the proper ingredients to cook; you just have to speak aloud and they will materialize at your request."

Shocked, Lili could only nod.

Jareth smiled mischievously at her obvious distress. "Oh, it is not that bad, child. At least I did not ask you to clean the Bog of Eternal Stench." Then, he closed the door and opened the one who was located just in front of the kitchen. "And, finally, this is your room," he said, stepping inside.

Already tired, Lili swallowed, held her bag tightly and followed him. She looked around and mentally sighed. Just as Jareth's was a king's chamber, hers was... well... a maid's one. In comparison of what she had seen, her room was small and simple. It was furnished with a bed, a chair, a small table with a lamp and an old wooden wardrobe which had seen better days... a couple of centuries ago. There was a closed door near it, surely the bathroom. The floor and the walls were of cold stone, no carpets or tapestries. It reminded Lili of a cloister, except for a small fireplace that caught her attention. 

"The castle is really cold in winter," Jareth said, noticing her interest in the fireplace. "And a frozen maid would not do her job, would she? Well, I am glad you like your new home," he finished, amused.

He snapped his fingers and a watch appeared in his hand. He gave it to her. Lili looked at it and, to her surprise, it had thirteen hours!

"Time moves different here," he explained at her startled expression. "Well?" he added expectantly.

Lili blinked and immediately put it around her slender wrist. "Thank you... your Majesty," she said politely.

Jareth nodded and found himself saying, "You are welcome." A little annoyed with himself for his stupid reaction, he cleared his throat and shook his head. "This is not a gift. Never take it off. My kingdom may hold some... dangers for you. Not lethal of course, but still, I would not like to... lose my only maid," he told her. "As magic does not recognize you, I will not be able to check directly on you, but I will be capable of seeing the watch. In that way, I will always know your location," he finished.

"Just like a beacon," Lili noted, examining her new watch. She smiled. It had a small goblin in the center, which indicated the hours and minutes with his short arms.

Jareth looked a t her for a moment and then turned to leave. "I want my food in five hours," he said from the doorway, not bothering to say please. "Do you remember the way to the dining room?" At her nod, he continued. "Good. Now I shall return to my duties... I have some... unfinished... business with Lili Williams," he added evilly.

His sinister tone sent chills to her spine and, forcing herself to control the fear, she took a deep breath and asked what she wanted to know. "Why... why do you hate... Lili Williams?"

He looked intently at her and blinked. "I do not hate her," he answered, shrugging. "She is just the meas to ensure my revenge."

"Revenge?" Lili asked, puzzled and unable to stop herself.

"Yes, revenge!" Jareth exclaimed, excited, balling his hands into fists. "Sarah must pay!" he added, completely forgetting he was not alone. "And her beloved sister will help me accomplish that!" 

Lili's eyes widened in shock and she paled. He wanted to hurt Sarah! Why? Her sister was the gentlest -well, also the most stubborn- person she had ever known. 

"Why?" she asked in a small voice, "What did she do to you? She would never harm you!" Lili added, completely forgetting she was supposed to treat him as a king. "She is kind and--"

"You are wrong!" he barked angrily, causing Lili to back up a couple of steps and unconsciously bring her bag in front of herself in a protective gesture.

"You are so wrong!" he repeated, walking menacingly toward her. "Sarah owes me one!" he yelled, raising his arm.

Completely convinced by now that he would hit her -and definitely not used to being yelled at- Lili closed her eyes and embraced her bag tightly. She was deeply ashamed. She knew Sarah would have fought back, but she ... just could not force her feet to move. 

"Sarah must pay!" Jareth shouted again. "She--"

He suddenly stopped as he realized the girl was scared to death... and his raised arm did not help. He rolled his eyes and lowered his arm. Did the child actually believe that he would hit her? He sighed. True, he had lost his temper, but then, that always had happened when he though of Sarah.

He shook his head. "What happened between Sarah and me is not of your concern," he stated in a calmer tone. "Remember, I want to eat in five hours." Without another word, he vanished.

Lili opened her eyes and, once sure she was alone, she sighed deeply and dropped her bag. Shaking, she sat on her bed and braced her knees. As the truth of her incredible situation sunk in, she bowed her head, but did her best to stop the coming tears. "I will not cry," a miserable Lili whispered, biting her lip. "I shall not cry," she repeated, trembling even more, but to her despair and annoyance, the tears came anyway. 

What a holiday...

****** 

Jareth materialized in his study and sat on his favorite armchair. As he pondered on what just had happened with his new maid, he let out a sigh. It had not been his intention to scare Lucy, but she had just touched too... sore a subject for him... Not to mention that she really did not seem to take shouts too well. He shrugged and took a hand to his chin. Oh, well, she would have to get used to his... kingly temper. Slowly, a satisfied smirk played on his face. Even though Sarah's sister had -momentarily- eluded him, his trip to the Mortal Realm had not been a completely waste of time after all, as he had gotten himself a maid. True, Lucy was not like the other girls he was used to dealing with and her taste in clothing was pretty bad, but she was respectful to him-- and that pleased him-- a lot. He titled his head. Perhaps it was more fear than respect, but that did not matter. After living for centuries surrounded by his stupid subjects, her soft voice and fair appearance were more than welcome... and he would finally get to eat a decent meal. 

His grin widened as he remembered Lucy's memory sphere. He had not told her the whole truth about the crystal. Not only did erase the victim's existence in regards to other people, but also copied the true... essence of said victim, giving great advantage to the one who kept it. He waved a hand and the shining object appeared floating before him. He blinked in surprise at its glow, only few and special humans could produce such a beautiful crystal. Suddenly very curious, he took off his gloves and extended his palm. The sphere obediently went to him. As soon as the crystal touched his bare hand, an unexpected tenderness flowed through his body... Tenderness and absolute despair. He gasped at both emotions. Despair was familiar to him -and understood why she felt it- but tenderness was completely new to him... 

Being the all mighty Goblin King, he was not used to those kind of feeling, not even from his former lovers. He could not help but smile in delight... and returned those feelings with his own...

****** 

Lili's quiet sobs were abruptly interrupted by an incredible soothing sensation... as if someone were embracing... her soul. Startled, she raised her head and stiffened, but soon she relaxed. She dried her eyes and felt her despair somehow lightening. With a small grin on her face, she leaned back on the bed. It was such a comforting feeling... 

After a while, and feeling much better, she sat crossed legs on the bed and began to think on her current -unbelievable- situation. There was no room for self-pity. Her beloved sister was in danger. The truth was that, for a reason unknown to her, Jareth hated Sarah. According to him, her sister had hurt him somehow and now, he would do anything to gain his revenge... in other words, getting to Sarah by harming her. 

Lili shuddered as she remembered the dark tone he had used before and how he had yelled at her when she had asked him about Sarah.

She cocked her head. She really didn't understand how Sarah could have met someone like Jareth or how he despise her so much... but then, she really didn't understand how a being like him -and his world- could even exist. She sighed. However, it didn't matter what she believed; she was here, stuck in this weird place, with a temperamental and all too powerful king... not to mention extremely dangerous. As strange as it was, he was convinced that Lucy -the real Lucy- was her... and so, he wanted to capture poor Lucy. Lili balled her hands into fists and bit her lip. Under no circumstance she would allow Lucy to be harmed, but she would play her game until the end. She would have to say good-bye to her dream of becoming a doctor... and just be Jareth's maid. "Clean and cook, perfect. The dream of every woman," she muttered sarcastically, picturing the huge -dusty- castle in her mind. She knew it was her only chance, keep him... happy, so to speak.

"For how long? Well until he finds out who I am," she added and shivered, not wanting to know what Jareth would do to her then. "Great."

Having made up her mind, she ran a hand through her hair and rose. "I will had better arranged my room first," she said to herself, but then she blinked and rolled her eyes, a bit annoyed. "Great, I have not been an hour here and I am already talking to myself. Just great." 

She shook her head, picked up her bag and started to take out her few things... after all, she was only supposed to be spending a couple of weeks with Sarah and Michael.

She took out her books, the ones she had teased Sarah with, and placed them on the table. Then, she brought out a pair of jeans and a couple of T-shirts and walked to the wardrobe. She carefully opened it, almost expecting something nasty -like cockroaches-, to jump out at her, but thank God, nothing happened. It was just an ordinary wardrobe with a broken mirror in one of the doors. However, it was not empty; old dresses and aprons were hanging inside. Curious, Lili left her clothes on the chair and took out a dress. Even though it had seen better days -and parties- it was still beautiful. It was long, with a tight bodice and flowing skirt. The sleeves long and tight, except in the shoulders, which were puffy. Once a vivid blue, it was now almost gray and torn in several places.

To Sarah's and her mother's despair, she was not the dress type, but still, Lili could not resist holding the dress before her. She looked at her reflection and chuckled. With her chin length hair, her freckles and her favorite snickers, she was not the image of a princess or a Lady. "Just the maid," she said to herself, morbidly amused. She inspected the other dresses -one green and the other red- and then put her own clothes in the wardrobe, together with her bag.

Once finished, she realized her hands were covered with dust. Rolling her eyes, she went to the door she had seen before. When she opened it a relieved smile played on her face. She had been right in her assumption; it was a small, fully equipped bathroom. She washed her hands and, after drying them, she continued ordering her things.

"Well I think that's all," she said.

Then, realizing it was a little dark, she opened the curtains and, in spite of her sadness, a delighted smile lit up her face. The enormous maze greeted her eyes. It was simply... spectacular. She widened her eyes, mesmerized and wondered what it would be like to walk through the labyrinth... and what sort of creatures would live there.

She raised a hand to her chin. Well, she had already met the goblins and, in spite of their odd appearance, they had not intimidated her. In fact, she thought they were funny, even though Jareth--

Lili suddenly stiffened. Jareth! She had completely forgotten about his meal! She quickly put on the apron she had seen inside the wardrobe and left her room...

******

Jareth kept feeling the girl's crystal for a while, but then he suddenly remembered whom the owner of the precious object was. He blushed slightly and shook himself. It was his maid's crystal! It was not the one of his summoners, not one of the unnumbered ladies that were always chasing him. No. It was just his new maid's. What was wrong with him?

With the sphere still carefully held in his hand, he rose and approached the bookshelf. He touched a copy of Shakespeare's "A midsummer night's dream" and waited. A part of the wall slid to a side, revealing the hidden entrance to his secret lab. He stepped inside and, silently, the wall closed behind him. The place was the size of his study, without tapestries or carpeting. Here, Jareth kept his magic books and unnumbered bottles containing all sort of herbs and other odd ingredients for the most complicate spells. However, he never used them, as he really didn't need them, as his magic was just too powerful. At the other side of the room, there was a delicate -and magical- crystal compartment. He walked toward it and carefully placed the sphere inside. With that, he returned to his study; he had an important task to complete. With an evil grin, he sat in the ledge of the window and created a crystal ball. He raised it to his eye level and his smile widened in a sinister way.

"Show me Lili Williams," he commanded in a whisper. To his disappointment, nothing happened, the sphere remained unchanged. "Show me Lili Williams!" he insisted, this time in a louder voice. Again, nothing happened. He tried several more times and, in every occasion, the requested image was denied to him. Annoyed to no end, he finally gave up and violently threw the ball through the open window.

"This will not stay like this!" he barked, balling his hands into fists. "Sarah's sister will not escape from me! I will have my revenge!" He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. Yes, he would have his revenge. He would seek Lili Williams out and seduce her, making her fall in love with him -an easy thing to do, considering that she would probably share her older sister's dreams and fantasies. Then, once he had obtained what he wanted, he would banish her to his darkest oubliette... He smiled, pleased with the idea. 

And the best part would be that Sarah would witness Lili's misery again and again...

__

*Oh, yes, revenge will be mine!* he thought, a satisfied and cruel look in his mismatched eyes.

******

Lili stood quietly before the kitchen's closed door. She could hear strange noises coming from the other side. After a moment of hesitation, she opened it... 

She dropped her jaw. When she had seen it with Jareth, it had been empty, but now, the room was filled with hyperactive -and rather hysteric- goblins. They were jumping, running, fighting, yelling, throwing things at each other -in fact Lili had to duck to avoid a dish- and even singing.

Lili swallowed and tried to call their attention, but the creatures ignored her. Suddenly, one small goblin distractedly ran toward her and, in a quick movement, Lili grabbed his arm, and carefully lifting him up, she closed the door.

"Hey, calm down," she soothed the nervous and kicking little thing. She could not help but smile. The creature was... well... cute, with his round face and round nose. He was a little bit fat for his size and was wearing purple pants, a bright yellow shirt -ripped in several parts- and a red funny hat with a furious green feather. In fact, the goblin was a startling piece of color.

"I will not hurt you," she added softly.

Not being used to gentle words and soft voices, the goblin finally stopped kicking and opened his eyes to see his captor.

To Lili's amusement, he flushed like a tomato. She placed him down. "I am Li... Lucy," she introduced herself, forcing herself to remember her "new" name. "What's your name?" she asked.

He cleared his throat and smoothed his shirt. "Pete," he said and then, tilted his head. "Are you one of the girls?" he asked with curiosity.

"Girls?" Lili repeated, puzzled.

He nodded. "Yes. Do you have to solve the labyrinth? Because you are in the wrong place," he explained.

Lili blinked and was about to ask what he meant with that, when suddenly she remembered Jareth's speech about "dangers untold and hardships unnumbered." She rolled her eyes and shook her red head. "Oh, no. I 'm not one of those... girls. I'm the new maid," she said, morbidly amused as how that sounded.

"You mean you didn't wish a child away?" Pete asked, wide opened eyes.

"Of course not!" Lili exclaimed, shocked, but then she shrugged. "Anyway, can you tell me what's going on inside?" she asked, indicating the closed door behind them.

Pete gave her an isn't-that-obvious look. "They're cooking."

Lili stared at him and began to understand Jareth's bad temper. "Okay," she muttered and, fixing her apron, she entered the kitchen...

The goblins were still hyperactive. Lili looked at them for a couple of seconds and, annoyed she noticed Pete's mischievous gaze fixed upon her, as if he were waiting her to go insane right there. However, she didn't lose it. Placing a rebel strand of hair behind her ear, she stood straight and took two fingers to her mouth... and whistled.

At the loud piercing sound, the goblins froze on their places and turned to the young woman, seeing her for the first time. 

She cleared her throat and a satisfied smirk appeared on her face. "Good. Now that I have your attention, let me introduce myself. My name is Lucy," she said seriously, looking intently at them. "And no, I am not one of the girls," she quickly added, seeing their mischievous expressions. "I am the new maid."

"Our nanny?" one of the goblins asked hopefully.

"No. I am his Majesty's maid," she explained.

"Ah, his Majesty's... nanny," another dwarf said in a wicked tone.

Lili blinked and blushed. "NO!" she exclaimed, realizing what he must have been thinking. She cleared her throat again. "I--"

"But you said you were his maid," a blue-faced goblin interrupted her.

"Yes, but what I--"

"He's right, I heard you," a tall creature added.

To Lili's annoyance, all of them began to talk at the same time, except Pete, who stared intently at her, as if waiting for her reaction. 

She rolled her eyes and took a hand to her forehead. Jareth didn't need a maid... he needed an army! Oh, but she would not be defeated by them! Lili took a deep breath and whistled as loud as she could. "ENOUGH!" she barked, and to her disbelief, it worked. They kept quiet and looked at her. She smiled sweetly. "That's better. As I told you before, I-am-the-maid-and-one-of-my-duties-is-to-cook," she said, speaking very slowly so they could understand her. "But I can't cook here, this place is a mess," she added and, suddenly, an idea occurred to her. Perhaps she could persuade them to help her, after all, they were... well, not so intelligent.

"We like it this way," a cat-like goblin said defiantly.

Lili just stared at her nails. "Well, I guess you don't want cookies, then," she replied shrugging and turning to leave.

"Cookies?" all the goblins repeated as one, suddenly very interested, their eyes shining.

Lili faced them again and had to suppress a chuckle at their expectant faces. She nodded. "Yes. I was thinking of delicious chocolate cookies... but If you prefer to have the kitchen like this..." she left the sentence unfinished and gestured with her hands, indicating the dirty place.

"If we clean... you will give us... cookies?" Pete asked suspiciously.

"Yes, Lili said solemnly.

As one, all the creatures hurried to the closet where all the cleaning implements were kept. Unfortunately, all of them tried to open the door at the same time...

__

*Why me?* Lili thought, as she whistled for the third time.

"Pete, can you open the door, please?" she told him, having already noticed he was one of the most intelligent goblins and, well, she liked him. 

Beaming with pride for having being chosen -as no one had ever chose him before- Pete nodded and did as he was told.

"Thank you," she said, walking toward the closet. 

She began to take aprons, brooms, soap and all sorts of cleaning supplies, until all the goblins were properly equipped for their task. Once finished, Lili divided them by size into two teams. The taller ones would take care of the walls and the smallest ones would clean the floor. For obvious reasons she would take care of dishes, glasses and every breakable item. She was about to start working, when suddenly realized they were staring puzzled at her.

"Well?" she prompted. "You may begin."

However, they didn't move. Annoyed, Lili looked questioningly at Pete, but he only shrugged. She blinked and, don't knowing what else to do, she whistled. Immediately, they moved. At first, they were terribly confused, but she patiently explained them how to do their job, until they finally got it. And so, for the first time in their life, the goblins began to... clean.

******

Exactly five hours later, the Goblin King left his chamber and headed to the dining room with long, annoyed strides. He had spent the whole afternoon thinking on his revenge and unsuccessfully trying to locate Lili Williams. He was angry... and hungry. Thinking on the delicious meal waiting for him and, with a roaring stomach, he entered the room. To his utter disappointment, there was nothing set over the table, not even a fork. He shook his head. What was wrong with that girl? Did she not hear him saying five hours? He blinked. Perhaps he had scared her too much... NO! He did give her enough time and he had not been that bad with her. She should have had his meal ready by now! Kicking a chair, he stormed out of the dining hall.

A second later, he materialized outside the kitchen and was about to open the door, when a sweet, delicious and familiar smell reached his nose. He inhaled deeply. What was it? He was sure he had smelled it before... Suddenly, it hit him. 

"Chocolate!" he exclaimed in surprise. Then, he hard goblin's voices, but as strange as it was, they were not screaming. They seemed to be just talking and, to Jareth's disbelief, he could have sworn the words "Thank you," were spoken. The Goblin King immediately dismissed that insane idea. Curious, he opened the door... and froze at the sight that greeted his eyes. He blinked several times to assure himself he was not hallucinating. The goblins -his idiotic goblins! - stood in a row, but they did not make any mess, they simply... stood there. Each one carried a dish... and each one had a napkin tied around the neck! 

Beyond amazement now, and wondering what was going on, Jareth followed the goblin row with his gaze and got his answer. He stiffened... Lucy -HIS maid- was giving them cookies... and each goblin patiently waited for his turn! 

He previous anger returned. She had cooked for his stupid goblins... instead of him!

With a deadly serious expression on his face, he walked toward them and stood behind the last goblin, his eyes cold as steel, his arms folded across his chest. He cleared his throat.

"Oh what do you--" the goblin said as he turned, but he abruptly went quiet and, slowly raised his head. At his king's icy -and dangerous- stare, he decided the wise action would be to walk away.

Jareth smiled, satisfied, and repeated his action until he stood behind his maid. She was bent before the oven, taking out the cookies. Completely unaware of his royal presence, she continued with her task.

He cleared his throat.

"Just wait a second," Lili said softly. "Here you go," she added, turning, but instead of a fat goblin, she saw a pair of shining, black, boots! Lili looked up... and up, until she met his mismatched, annoyed eyes. Her own eyes widened in horror as she realized... the five hours were gone!

She rose and nervously bit her lip. "Your Majesty... I am sorry... I..."

At her terrified expression, Jareth's anger vanished, to be replaced by a hint of amusement. Was he that intimidating? Oh yes, he was! "Can you tell me what are you doing?" he asked seriously, not letting his amusement to show.

Lili sighed and briefly wondered how the Bog of Eternal Stench would be. "I... was giving the goblins cookies. They helped me to clean the kitchen and--"

"They did what?" he interrupted her, unable to stop himself. He gave a quick glance over his shoulder and only the realized the place was almost shining.

"They helped me to clean and I baked chocolate cookies for them in return. You never said I couldn't use their help," Lili explained, her gaze fixed on her bowl of cookies.

The king blinked and looked at her as if she were a phenomenon. Of course he never told her that! Goblins were... well... goblins. How could it be that a mere -magicless- mortal woman could have made his idiotic subjects to actually do something useful? Could it be that kindness... and cookies... were better than kicks and yells? Jareth thought about it for a couple of seconds, but then shook his head. Of course not! He was the Goblin King. He had a reputation to maintain! He just could not picture himself being... kind... with his minions. Definitely not! 

He rolled his eyes.

"Lucy," Jareth began to say in his deep voice. "I shall forgive you this time, but never make me wait again. Understood?"

Lili raised her head. "Crystal clear... I mean, yes, your Majesty. It will never happen again. I promise," she replied, feeling like a grounded child.

He nodded. "Good. I want my meal in one hour."

"Of course," Lili said with a small grin. Then, realizing it would be rude not to offer cookies, she shyly raised her bowl. "Cookies?" she asked, blushing a bit.

Jareth's eyes widened in disbelief. How dared she to offer him -HIM!- the same food she had given... the goblins?

"Is it something wrong?" Lili asked, puzzled, tilting her red head and wondering what she had done to upset him now.

Annoyed, he opened his mouth to admonish her, but then, seeing her childish, innocent expression, something seemed to melt inside of him. He shook his head. "Nothing is wrong," he said, grabbing a cookie. He took a small bite and could not suppress a smile. It was delicious!

"I am glad you liked it," Lili noted, feeling unexplainably... happy.

Slightly annoyed for letting her know, Jareth quickly recovered his kingly mode and cleared his throat. "Remember, one hour." With that, he disappeared... together with the bowl of cookies.

Lili blinked in surprise and shook her head; perhaps Jareth was not that bad after all, but still... better not to make him wait. She quickly turned to the stove, but in doing so, she accidentally brushed the hot surface with her wrist.

"Shit!" she exclaimed at her burned skin. 

******

Jareth materialized in his private room with the bowl of cookies in his hand. He took another one and, again, he smiled. It reminded him of his childhood... a really long time ago.

His grin widened as he remembered how mischievous he had been then, always annoying his maids... but in the end, they always had given him anything he had wanted... including chocolate cookies.

He laughed. It seemed that some things never change.

******

One hour later, Jareth returned to the dining room. When he entered, he was greeted with a delicious smell.

His maid stood there, giving the last details to the now set table.

"Everything is ready," Lili informed him.

He nodded and took his seat, however, when he saw the food, his face fell in disappointment. It was just a simple beefsteak, together with rice and tomato salad. It was just plain, home-cooking... definitely not the appropriate meal for a king. And if that were not enough, she had dared to accompany it with... orange juice! He looked at her as if saying are-you-insane?

"Do you really expect me to eat this?" he asked in disbelief.

Lili tilted her head, puzzled. "What is wrong with the food?" she asked, not seeing anything out of place.

"It is home cooking!" he exclaimed, annoyed. "I cannot eat this! Take it away!" he ordered.

Lili blinked. "Why--"

"Do as I say!" he barked.

Biting her lip for not to scream in annoyance and wondering how a grown up man could be so... spoiled, Lili hurried to comply.

"I am sorry," she whispered with a hint of annoyance, as she held the glass of juice with a shaking hand. "I am not a chef," she added, reaching for his dish.

"I can see that," he said dryly, her annoyed tone not lost to him. He was about to add something else, when he noticed her wrist was wrapped in a piece of cloth. "What happened to your wrist?" he asked, even though he had a good idea of the answer.

"Nothing," Lili said, quickly withdrawing her hand. 

She looked at him with such and offended and hurt gaze, that, in spite of himself, Jareth felt like an Ogre. "Wait," he suddenly said. "You can leave it here."

Startled, Lili nodded and then a small grin played on her face. "I can cook, but I am not a chef, your Majesty," she explained, giving him her best it-was-not-my-fault-I-didn't-ask-to-come-here look.

Jareth rolled his eyes and held a fork and a knife. After a little hesitation, he took a small piece of meat... and then took another one... and another...

"It is not bad," he admitted, not bothering to tell her that it was delicious. "However," he continued, "you must always accompany my meals with a cup of good wine. In this occasion, I believe the better choice would be a Cabernet Sauvignon," he added and, snapping his fingers, a cup of wine replaced the glass with orange juice.

Lili gasped in surprise.

The Goblin King chuckled at her reaction. "Soon you will get used to it," he said, amused. "Remember that magic is present everywhere and in everyone here in my kingdom."

"Except in me," she noted with a shrug. Then, assuming that he would like to eat alone, she excused herself and turned to leave.

"Lucy," he suddenly called her.

"Yes?" she asked, facing him again.

He sighed. "Never leave my presence until I tell you so," he admonished her.

Lili blinked and, for a second, he reminded her of her teachers. Banishing the thought, she nodded and remained on her spot, her hands on the back.

At her grounded-child look, Jareth had to suppress his laugh. "You are dismissed," he said at last.

Lili mentally rolled her eyes, made a little bow and left.

"Not bad, really," Jareth repeated to himself, taking another piece of meat. He smiled. She may not be a chef, but she could cook.

Thirty minutes later, Lili came back with the dessert and after taking away the empty dish, she placed it before him.

"Lucy I--" Jareth began to say, but abruptly stopped when he saw what it was. His jaw fell in disbelief. She had given him... a peach!

"Is it something wrong?" Lili asked at his strange reaction. "If you don't like peaches, I can bring you something else... strawberries, perhaps?" she offered.

Jareth forced himself to recover and cleared his throat. "No. Peaches are fine," he answered. "You may retire."

Lili gave him a last puzzled glance and then left the dining room.

Jareth watched her leave and then returned her gaze to his unusual dessert. "Peaches," he repeated, amused. The last time a woman had offered him peaches, had been in a far less innocent... circumstances... Not to mention that he had always enjoyed giving enchanted peaches to his vic-- summoners.

"Indeed peaches are fine," he whispered, chuckling.

******

"Well, I think I have finished for today," Lili said, looking around her. After serving Jareth his diner, she had returned to the kitchen, only to find out that the goblins had mess up with everything... again. Fortunately for her, she had been able to convince them to clean... again.

"Not bad... for my first day," she added, with a morbid sense of humor. The truth was that she already missed her family, she was tired and her wrist hurt... a lot. Not to mention that she was talking to herself again...

Sighing and hoping that her new... boss didn't want anything else, she went to her room.

Once there, she took of her shoes and, jumping at the cold stone, she had to put on her panda sleepers. She grabbed her pajamas -with pandas also printed on it- and, stifling a yawn, headed to the bathroom in desperately need of a warm shower. She had walked a couple of steps, when someone knocked the door.

She blinked and after a little hesitation, she opened and was surprise to see Pete standing there. He was serious and seemed worried by something.

"Hi, Pete, please, come in," she invited him. "What's wrong? She asked, guiding him to the only chair.

He took off his red hat and looked intently at her. "I... I have... something to ask you," he said shyly.

"Yes?" Lili prompted gently.

"Can you teach me how to... whistle?" he almost begged, his eyes shining.

Lili blinked and smiled kindly. "Sure, but why?" 

To her amusement, he blushed.

"I... there is someone... who... I mean... she is..."

Lili tilted her head and her grin widened. "I see," she said, giving him a knowing look.

"Will you teach me?" he insisted hopefully.

"Of course, but can you tell me her name?"

Pete smiled. "Chala," he answered.

"Beautiful name," Lili said kindly.

"Yes," Pete agreed, excited. "Now, please, teach me!" he begged again.

"Now?" a tired Lili asked, all that she wanted to do was tend her wrist and sleep, but seeing 

his smiling face, she just could not deny. "Okay," she said and then, she began to explain him how to whistle.

Fifteen minutes later, Lili had to admit it was really difficult to teach a goblin how to whistle... and his short fingers didn't help.

"Perhaps you can do something else to impress her," she suggested then, seeing a now desperate Pete seated with his head bowed. Suddenly and idea occurred to her. "Maybe I can name you... my assistant!"

"Your... assistant?" he asked, raising his head, his eyes shining again.

"Yes. You can help me with the other goblins," Lili added, going to her wardrobe and taking out a purple ribbon. "With this, I name you my official assistant," she said, carefully tying the ribbon around his neck. "What do you think?" Lili asked, as he looked at himself in the mirror.

Pete put on his hat again and a proud smirk played on his round face. "Chala will love me."

******

In his private chamber, the Goblin king was seated on his favorite armchair, with a book in his hands. He started to read, but after twenty minutes, he got bored and put the book on a side table. Unbidden, a smile drew on his face as he thought of his unusual dessert. He did not know Lucy at all, but he could tell she was rather shy. If she ever knew what peaches meant to him, the poor child would have a heart attack. 

His grin faded and, not for the first time, guilt began to rise within him. 'Poor child', indeed. She was an innocent victim of his revenge...

__

*No*, Jareth corrected himself. Lucy was not such a victim after all. True, he had rudely separated her from her family and from the -limited- world she had ever known... But what kind of life was that, anyway? She was just Sarah's maid... Well, now she was his, but at least, she would not age.

Yes. He had made that girl a favor and it would not take her long to realize it. Fortunately for her, she seemed to have already accepted her fate -not that she could have done anything to avoid it. She had obeyed him without complain and it appeared that she could control his goblins. That alone was amazing. The only problem with her was that she was too... sensitive. Jareth rubbed his chin as he realized he had not so much experience with people like her. He could still see the hurt look in his eyes when he had ordered her to take the food... and when he had noticed her injured wrist--

Jareth abruptly stiffened and shook his head. What in the Underground was he thinking? Was he... worried about her? Lucy was just his maid, a servant! She was--

He sighed and relaxed. Yes, she was his only maid, but he was not a monster -not an evil monster anyway- and he knew her burn needed to be taken care off. An injured maid would not do her job properly, would she?

Rolling his eyes at his sudden soft heart, he rose from his seat and headed to his secret lab. As he could not use healing magic in her -her body would not tolerate it- he would be forced to do it in the old, traditional way, with herbs and ointments.

******

Lili stood in the bathroom, brushing her hair. After Pete had gone, she had taken her shower and had put on her favorite pajamas. Suddenly, she stopped brushing her hair and had to release the brush. Her wrist was killing her!

"Great," she muttered, taking off the cloth and examining her wrist. She knew it would leave a nasty scar and probably it would get infected. She shook her head. If she were at home, she would use the proper medication, but what could she use here? She had already put it under cold water, but that was all.

"Great," she repeated, annoyed, and went to get another piece of cloth. She found an old, clean handkerchief among her things. "This will have to do," she said to herself. She sat on her bed and started to wrap her wrist, when someone knocked the door again. She smiled and rolled her eyes; surely Pete had forgotten something... or perhaps he wanted another... decoration. "Come in," she said, without raising her head, her gaze focused on her wrist.

She heard the door open and footsteps approaching.

"What do you need, Pete?" 

"I am not Pete," a deep and slightly annoyed voice replied...

******

Jareth materialized before the closed door and was about to simply enter, when suddenly it occurred to him that he should knock first. He tilted his head. Never had he knocked a door in his castle before... 

A small grin appeared on his face -but he quickly controlled it- as he realized this would have to be another of his... indulgences to his maid. He smiled again. In spite of what he had done to her, he had the odd feeling that Lucy considered him to be... a gentleman. Oh well... He knocked.

"Come in," a soft voice said.

He entered and, as he saw her trying to tend her wrist, he confirmed he had been right in his assumption; she needed help.

"What do you need, Pete?" she asked then, obviously without looking up at him.

At her question, Jareth blinked in disbelief. First, she had dared to cook for his goblins and now... she confused him with one of them!

"I am not Pete," he stated, don't knowing whether to be annoyed or amused.

He was rewarded with her surprised reaction. Truly startled, Lili jumped from her bed and stood before him wide opened eyes. 

"Your Majesty!" she exclaimed, blushing furiously. "Is there anything that you need?" she asked, nervously smoothing her pajama.

Jareth denied with a shake of his head, but did not say a word. He had noticed her pajamas -and sleepers- and now could not help but staring at her. Definitely, she was so different from the other women he had known...

"Your Majesty?" Lili insisted, interrupting his thoughts. At his stare, she dropped her gaze to her feet. "I... I... like pandas," she explained, embarrassed, mentally kicking herself for not having put on a robe before telling her 'guest' to enter.

"So I see," he noted, but then, he shook himself. "No. I do not need anything, but you do," he stated. "Let me see your wrist," he added, at her puzzled look.

Lili blinked in surprise and only then she realized he was holding a small bowl. Not without suspicious, she extended her arm.

Jareth rolled his eyes at her expression. "As I told you before, I am not a monster, Lucy," he said, as he gently held her hand. "It looks bad. Now, sit down," he told her, indicating the bed.

She looked at him, not fully convinced, but still, she sat. He sat by her side and gave her the bowl. "Hold this."

"What is it?" Lili asked, as she eyed its content: a green paste and a little spatula.

"An ointment made with the proper herbs to heal your burn," he explained matter-of-factly.

Her eyes lit up. "Do you know of medicine plants?" she asked, truly interested.

Jareth looked at her with curiosity and then he shrugged. "Yes, but I rarely use that knowledge. I prefer to use magic to heal."

Lili's eyes widened. "Then you are a... healer," she noted seriously and then, a faraway grin played on her face. "That's my dream... to become a doctor... a healer..." 

She paused for a second as she suddenly remembered her new identity and that she had to be careful with what she said. "It... it was not in my plans to be Mrs. Byron's maid forever, but now... I suppose... it doesn't... matter, after all... I was in the wrong place at the wrong time," she finished with a helpless shrug.

Jareth blinked at her words. No one had ever called him... healer... and no one had ever talked to him like that, so... openly. He stared intently at her, the sadness in her voice not lost to him. "Lucy, you understand your situation, do you not?" he asked. "You are my maid now."

"And that is how I will remain for a long time. I know," Lili said, also knowing that that situation was not the worst of her problems. "It was just a thought, that's all," she added with a small -sad- grin. "But you are a healer," she repeated.

He cleared his throat, suddenly feeling a little... overwhelmed by her way of speaking to him... so... meaningful. "I am the Goblin King," he stated and then returned his attention to her burn. He held the spatula and took a little of paste. "This will hurt," he warned her.

Lili nodded and when the substance touched her injured skin, she had to bit her lip to keep from screaming though a couple of rebel tears slid down her cheeks.

"It will soon pass," Jareth soothed her and, just for a second, he was tempted to sweep her tears away, but he recovered his kingly mode immediately. She was just his servant! He materialized a bandage and carefully wrapped her wrist.

"Thank you," Lili whispered, drying her eyes.

"You are welcome," he replied, unable to stop himself at her grateful expression. He took the bowl from her hand and rose. "Tomorrow your wrist will be completely healed," he added, walking to the door.

"Thank you... your Majesty," Lili repeated with a shy smile.

He nodded and left the room. 

Lili watched him leave and then looked at her wrist. She sighed, confused. Maybe he was not such a monster after all. In fact, he had been kind enough to come to her chamber only to help her. Then, why did he want to hurt Sarah -and her, Lili Williams- so badly?

She tilted her head in a thoughtful mode. Could it be that he had double personality or something like that? That he could be cruel and generous?

Lili shook her head and quickly dismissed that possibility. She leaned back on the bed and pulled up the covers, leaving only her eyes exposed. No, that was not it. Jareth just suffered an extreme case of bad temper... not that she could blame him, though... with all that hyperactive goblins running all around the castle.

At that thought, Lili chuckled. But they were not evil; extremely annoying, yes, and mischievous, but not evil. And now, she even had an assistant!

Lili suddenly became serious and shut of the lights. Jareth was not evil either; the only problem was that he hated the Williams sisters... to death.

With her last thought to Sarah -and to Jareth, in spite of herself- and tired by the incredible day, Lili fell sleep almost immediately.

******

As Jareth left the girl's room, he could not help but smile. Lucy was really strange, but she was not that bad... and he actually liked her... as his maid, of course. He vanished the bowl he still held in his hand, and decided to return walking to his own chamber. He distractedly made his way through the corridors, when suddenly a distracted goblin bumped into him. 

"Pete," Jareth muttered, annoyed.

"So... sorry, your Majesty," a now scared Pete apologized. He had been visiting his friend, Chala -he had showed her his new decoration- and he really had not expected to find the king.

Jareth rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to tell Pete that he should look where he was going, when he noticed the perfect -purple- lace the small goblin had around his neck.

"What is it that you have around your neck?" Jareth asked looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

Pete blushed slightly and cleared his throat. "Lucy gave it to me," he explained. "She named me her assistant!" He added, beaming with pride.

Jareth's eyes widened. "Her assistant?" the king asked in disbelief, his bad temper menacing to explode. He balled his hands into fists. Was that child crazy? Did she not know HE was the only one who ruled here? Without a word and, to Pete's great relief, he vanished. 

A second later, a serious Jareth materialized in Lili's room. However, all his annoyance melted away when he saw her sound asleep; she looked so... peaceful. It occurred to him that he had overreacted after all--

Jareth slightly stiffened at that thought. He let out a sigh and rolled his eyes... as he realized he had been tolerant again.

Giving her a last glance he silently disappeared.

******


	2. Why 2

__

And so, Lili Williams' time in the Underground began...

In order to forget the pain the abrupt separation from her family and friends caused her, she focused on her new... job. She assumed her personality as Jareth's maid. Just as he had ordered, she cooked for him, washed his clothes and cleaned his room... and the rest of the castle. She even succeeded in organizing the goblins. Thanks to cookies and whistling, she managed to convince them to behave -in their unique goblin way, of course. She had them do useful tasks, like swept the floor, pick up their things and take out the garbage...

However, in spite of everything, her situation was not as terrible as she had thought it would be. Not everything was work. She had that amazing library to herself; as she was not used to a twenty-six hours day; she woke up too early. She spent every dawn there, reading. She also loved to admire the tapestries and other beautiful treasures hidden within the castle. She liked visiting the city's market place; it was always full of weird –and useless- things.

With each passing day, she grew fonder of the hyperactive goblins. Even though they often made her lose her patience, they never failed to make her laugh -especially her "assistant", Pete. He followed her everywhere and, as strange as it could be, he really helped her.

The main problem for Lili, was her... boss and her ever-present fear that he would discover who she truly was. Putting that little detail aside, she had realized Jareth was not as terrible as she had thought either. In fact, she was beginning to like him... a lot. He yelled and kicked his goblins -and sent them to the bog- but he was never rude to her. Once you considered his awful temper, of course. They would often sit in the library and talk for hours. Sometimes, he would tell her stories from his world, the Underground; stories that she would listen to in delight, wide eyed and wondering. 

What annoyed Lili, though, was his habit of appearing or disappearing without any warning. It was as if he really enjoyed seeing her jump. 

On the other hand, being well served and treated with respect, Jareth's mood improved... a bit. With each passing day, and without him even noticing it, he started to become more used to his maid.... and more fond of her simple food. But that was not all. He had realized that she was far more interesting than an ordinary servant. She was a human being. Not a beauty, not a lover, just someone to talk to, someone that really listened him. Since the beginning she had done everything he ordered and she never complained, except when he sent a goblin to the bog or when he... surprised her by materializing behind her. He really enjoyed her startled reactions. Her obvious shyness and embarrassment also amused him -and touched him. Each time he would talk to her looking at her in the eye, she would blush and lower her gaze. In those occasions, he could not help but think that she was only a child...

However, there was something that always kept Jareth on the edge. Something that had nothing to do with his maid... or that was what he believed. He wanted his revenge badly... but little did he know that his main target was right before his eyes...

******

"NO!" Jareth yelled, throwing his crystal sphere to the wall. He rose from his armchair and, annoyed, he began to pace across his chamber. For the zillionth time, the requested image of Lili Williams had been denied to him. His powerful magic just... could not locate Sarah's sister!

"NO!" he screamed again, causing a loud clap of thunder to be heard all throughout the castle. "She will not escape. I--"

He abruptly stopped -pacing and yelling- as a sudden idea hit him. 

With a dark smirk on his face, he left his room and headed to his secret lab, muttering sinister curses under his breath the entire way out.

******

After serving Jareth his breakfast -in his private chamber- Lili went to the throne room. She fixed her apron and entered. As always, the place was filled with hyperactive goblins and chickens flying all around. In fact, she had to duck to avoid one of the birds. However, she didn't panic, she knew exactly what to do. She whistled. Immediately the goblins stopped their frantic activity and turned to face her.

"Hi, Lucy," Pete greeted her with a grin as he approached her. "Will you give us cookies today?" he asked, his eyes shining.

"Yes, cookies!" the others exclaimed, surrounding her.

Lili smiled. "Good morning and yes, I will bake cookies today. But first, I will need your help to clean this room."

"Why?" one of the goblins asked, putting his hands on his hips defiantly. "You don't cook here."

At his comical appearance, Lili had to struggle to keep a straight face. This was their every day conversation. She shrugged. "Yes, but I have to clean the castle first, so the sooner I finish, the sooner I can start with the cookies."

The goblins exchanged puzzled glances and seemed to think about it. They were used to be yelled at, not to be talked at... and, unlike their king, Lucy never yelled. After a moment, they nodded.

"Good," she said. Then, she sent Pete and five more goblins to the kitchen, to get the cleaning stuff. "While we wait for them let's get rid of the chickens," she added.

"Do you want us to take them to the bog?" a goblin by the name of Glup offered politely.

Lili shook her head and rolled her eyes. "No, just take them outside." 

Immediately, the goblins began to chase the poor, nervous birds.

Unable to stop herself, Lili finally burst into laughter. Watching the fat goblins run after the chickens was simply too much.

When Pete and the others returned, twenty minutes later, they started cleaning...

Suddenly, a loud thunder echoed in the room. The goblins froze for a second and then resumed their work.

Lili let out a deep sigh and shook her head. She knew the thunder had been caused by the king's anger and she also knew the reason of it.

"If only you could forget about your revenge... about me. Why do you hate me... if I...?" she whispered sadly, unconsciously bracing herself.

"Lucy... Lucy," Pete called her, a bit worried. "Are you all right?"

Lili blinked and the grin returned to her face. She nodded. "Yes. It took me by surprise, that's all."

Pete just smiled in return.

******

"Enough of the gentle Goblin King!" Jareth barked, entering his lab. As his inner magic had failed him, he would have to turn to outer magic. Not elegant, but efficient.

He took a big, old book from the shelf and opened it, searching for what he needed. After a couple of minutes, his eyes shone dangerously as he found the perfect spell... the spell of nightmares.

"Good," he muttered, satisfied.

Without losing a moment, he gathered all the necessary ingredients and he brought everything over to his worktable. 

"Time for endless nightmares, Lili Williams!" he exclaimed sinisterly. Then, he became serious; clearing his throat, he began to chant the dreadful and powerful words. Once finished, he stared, pleased, at the sparkling silver ball of energy floating before him, obediently waiting his command. He smiled darkly. "GO!" he ordered at last.

The ball glowed brighter and, at the speed of light, went to fulfill his command.

"Your sister will turn insane right before jour eyes, dear Sarah," he said sinisterly. 

True, this was not what he had first planed, but it will have to do. With a final chuckle, he left his lab. 

With the smile still on his face, he stepped out of the secret passage. He had walked a couple of steps form the bookshelf that hid the entrance, when suddenly he felt an incredible force approaching. Startled, he spun around... and stiffened as he realized it was the magic energy he had sent for Lili. His eyes widened in shock, as he understood what had happened. The spell had simply... bounced!

"NO!" he yelled, raising his arms in a protective way. "NO--" he screamed as the light mercilessly wrapped around him, surrounding him with nightmares...

******

"NO!"

His last scream echoed all over the castle.

"He's very mad," Pete noted, shuddering.

"I don't think so," Lili replied, unexplainably worried. "No. Something is wrong."

Without another word, she hurried out of the throne room. Pete and the other goblins exchanged puzzled glances and then followed her.

Lili ran to the king's chamber, her bad feeling going deeper. "Something is very wrong," she muttered, as she entered his room. He was not there. Completely convinced that something had happened to him now, Lili exited through the opposite door that led to his study... 

She gasped. He was sprawled out on the floor, just beyond the bookshelf.

"Oh God!" she exclaimed, as she knelt by his side. He was deathly pale, covered with sweat and his eyelids were incredibly red. She carefully checked his pulse and let out a relieved sigh.

"Is he..." Pete began to ask, speaking for all the goblins.

"No," Lili said, without raising her head. She gently removed a strand of blond hair from his face. "What happened to you?" she asked softly, not really expecting an answer. To her surprise, he his eyes fluttered open and Lili stared in shock the haunted look within them. In a quick and totally unexpected movement, he grabbed her hand.

"O... Oberon," he whispered and then, he passed out.

"No, please, stay with me!" Lili urged him, desperate. "I don't know what an Oberon is!"

"He's the King of Avalon and Jareth's friend," Pete answered.

"What!" Lili exclaimed.

"He is--" Pete began, but abruptly stopped at the unusually cold glance she gave him.

Lili shook her head. "I am sorry, Pete. I heard you the first time," she apologized with a strained smile. Then she rose and carefully held Jareth up by his shoulders. "Come on, help me. Hold his feet," she ordered seriously to the inert goblins. "Don't make me whistle!"

With the help of three big goblins, Lili managed to take the unconscious king to his bed. He moaned in pain as she took off his boots.

"Please, bring me a bowl with cold water and a piece of cloth," she told Glup and then she turned to a concerned looking Pete. "Do you know how to contact Oberon?"

Pete blinked and rubbed his temples with both hands, as if he were thinking hard. Suddenly, his round face lit up. "I remember now! One day when I was in here, his Majesty was talking with his mirror."

Lili cocked her head a little. "Do you mean he uses his mirror as a telephone?" she asked. At Pete's blank expression, she rolled her eyes. "Never mind. Thank you, Pete."

Jareth moaned in pain again, muttering unintelligible words. Deeply worried, Lili placed a hand on his forehead and gasped, he was burning. "Where is Glup with the water?" She asked loudly. She sighed, frustrated. She could lower his fever somewhat, but she just didn't know how to cure him. She took one of his hands. She had not forgotten that he had kidnapped her -and turned her into his maid... not to mention that he wanted to use her to harm Sarah- but he was not all that bad and he was suffering a lot. She simply had to do something to easy his pain! At that moment Glup arrived with the water and gave it to her.

"Thank you," she said. "Now you can all go, except you, Pete. I want you to stay."

Pete nodded and the rest of the goblins, still scared by their king's sudden illness, obeyed without complaints.

Lili try to sooth Jareth's fever with the water and then, she rose and stood before the mirror. Pete followed her and stood by her side.

"You have no reflection!" he exclaimed in disbelief.

"Something about magic or the lack of it," Lili explained, shrugging. "Anyway, do you know how it works?" she asked, even though she already knew the coming answer. As expected, Pete just shook his head. "Well, I guess these kind of things don't come with instructions," she said sarcastically.

"No," Pete agreed, earning an exasperate look from her.

They silently stood before the mirror for a while, until Lili finally lost her temper. 

"How in the world am I supposed to contact Oberon or reach Avalon?" she suddenly yelled, throwing her arms up.

Pete stared at her in disbelief and then opened his mouth to tell her that he didn't know how. However, he had not the chance to speak as the mirror unexpectedly began to glow.

They jumped a step back and exchanged surprised glances.

"Wow!" Lili exclaimed. "I guess all I had to do was ask."

The glow soon faded and a blue mist covered the mirror's surface. A couple of seconds later, the mist disappeared and an elegant chamber, in a sort of Arabian style, was revealed.

Suddenly, a young, handsome man, dressed in colorful clothes, entered said chamber and walked toward the mirror, a mischievous and surprised expression on his face. 

They look at each other with intense curiosity.

Lili knew it was rude to stare, but she simply could not take her gaze away from him. He was a bit shorter than Jareth, with blond-white hair reaching down to his shoulders. His eyes were incredibly green and oddly ageless and -to Lili's astonishment- he had... pointed ears!

After a moment, Lili was brought back to reality by Jareth's moans. She shook her head and cleared her throat. "Are... are you King Oberon?" she asked, nervously brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

******

His amusing chase of the lovely elven lady was abruptly interrupted by a sudden burst of magic coming from the High Lord's chambers. As Oberon himself had ordered him to tend to his messages during his absence, he shook his head, bid the now pouting lady good bye and headed to the king's private room. 

Once there, he was pleasantly surprised by what the mirror showed him. A worried looking redheaded girl was the one who had summoned his master. She was beautiful in her own style; her eyes were incredibly gentle and her short hair was red, but the reason for his surprise had been that she was human!

His gaze traveled from her startled face to her companion, a fat, funny looking goblin. Puck's grin widened as he realized she was calling from the Goblin City... particularly from the Goblin King's chamber. Amused, he returned his gaze to her eyes and, as he saw the innocence within them, the wicked thought that had been raised in his mind faded. No, she was not one of Jareth's... girls. She was not dressed like one anyway.

He mentally shook himself and was about to ask her what she wanted, when she suddenly spoke.

"Are... are you king Oberon?"

******

The young man widened his eyes and seemed taken aback for a second, but then he blinked and the mischievous expression returned to his face.

"Lord Oberon is not available for the time being. I am Puck, or Robin Goodfellow if you prefer," he introduced himself, courteously bowing his head.

"Puck?" Lili repeated, unable to hide her disappointment and concern. "Please, I must talk with... Lord Oberon!" she insisted, biting her lip. "It's... the Goblin King. He is seriously ill!"

Puck tilted his head and sat cross-legged floating in the air. "Lord Oberon is not here," he said and then, his eyes twinkled merrily. "Did you say the all mighty Goblin King is sick?" he asked in a slightly amused voice.

Lili nodded and, as worried as she was, she did not notice his teasing tone. "Yes. Can you, please, help him?" she almost begged.

Puck blinked at her request. Was she asking a... favor from the Trickster of Avalon? His eyes shone again, this time his amusement clearly visible. "Yes I could. But what would you... give me in return?"

Lili stiffened and opened her eyes wide. "I am only his maid... and obviously you are some kind of sorcerer. What could I possibly give you!" she exclaimed in a heart broken voice, shooting a quick, desperate glance at Jareth.

Puck looked intently at her, her large eyes piercing his very soul, as no one had ever had. He, the Trickster of Avalon, the Merry Wonderer of the night, was mischievous and powerful... but he had three weaknesses: music, blackberries... and puppies. And the girl before him had a really lost puppy look in her eyes. It was then that he realized he had been... defeated.

He smiled a genuine grin, the one he reserved for innocent children.

"Please," Lili insisted with misty eyes.

"Lucy," Pete suddenly called her. He had been quiet the whole time and now he had an idea. Lili lowered her gaze to him. "You can give him a slice of yesterday's pie," he suggested seriously.

"Pie?" Puck asked with a raised eyebrow. He took a hand to his chin. He had not eaten pie in ages!

Noticing his sudden interest, Lili smiled and looked hopefully at him. "Yes. Yesterday I baked blackberry pie and--"

"Blackberry pie!" Puck interrupted her and, at her nod, he glowed and smiled widely. "My lady, we have a deal."

Before Lili could say another word, he appeared by her side.

"Puck," he said, bowing again.

"I'm... Lucy," she introduced herself with a small grin. "Please, I don't want to be rude, but could you..."

Puck chuckled. "Oh, yes, the lethargic Goblin King. Let us see the patient," he said, approaching an unconscious Jareth. He looked at the king and nodded. "Mmm... He is under a spell... I wonder who would have dared attack him..." he muttered, morbidly amused. "Poor fool... the attacker, that is."

"Can you help him?" Lili insisted, a bit exasperate.

"Be patient, Young One," Puck teased her, still surprised that someone actually cared for the bad tempered Goblin King. "Or do you want him to explode?"

However, he became serious and extended his arms over Jareth. The Faery began to glow and started to speak in the ancient language of magic.

After a moment, it ended. "I am done," Puck informed to an astonished Lili and Pete.

"Will... he be all right?" Lili asked, looking hopefully at him and then at the Goblin King.

"Of course... anything for a slice of blackberry pie" he answered with a wink, earning a smile from her.

As if confirming his words, Jareth stirred and slowly opened his eyes...

******

The dreadful veil of darkness and nightmares slowly began to disappear. It took him a few minutes to remember what had happened. Something had gone terribly wrong with his last spell. 

After a moment, he was finally able to open his eyes...

To his surprise he was in his own room, laying on his bed. As his sight focussed once again, he realized that his maid was standing by his bed, a relieved expression on her face.

"How do you feel, Your Majesty?" she asked with a smile, in her usually soft, pleasant voice.

He was about to answer her when he suddenly noticed the annoyingly familiar figure that stood behind her.

"You," he said in a whisper, unable to speak louder.

"He healed you," Lili quickly explained, noticing the king's distress.

"As a matter of fact, I did," the impish faery confirmed, walking a step forward.

"You... healed... me?" Jareth asked in disbelief, widening his eyes.

"Yes. Not a difficult thing to do, may I add," Puck answered in a mocking respectful tone. "By the way, do you know who was stupid enough to attack you?" Puck asked, clearly interested.

Embarrassed, and already picturing the laughter Puck would enjoy at his expense, Jareth slightly blushed and shook his head. "It is none of your concern," he stated in his full -albeit weak- kingly mode.

Puck chuckled and cocked his head. "I had forgotten what an ungrateful old man you are... but I guess when you reach certain age..." He finished with a shrug, earning a glare from Jareth.

Lili had to suppress a chuckle. "Sorry," she whispered at the king's annoyed glance.

Puck then turned to her. "Lucy, I believe the old Goblin needs to rest," he said in a falsely worried tone, deliberately dropping Jareth's title.

"Yes," she agreed with a grin and then, to Puck's surprise, she gently covered the king with a blanket. "Do you want me to bring you something? Something to eat... some goblins to kick?"

"Lucy!" Pete exclaimed, horrified, covering his face with both hands.

Puck blinked, amused, and Jareth just rolled his eyes.

Lili lowered her kind, mischievous gaze to the poor goblin. "I was only joking. What would I do without my assistant?" she reassured him and then looked questioningly at her boss. "Shall I bring you something, your Majesty?"

"No, you may retire," he said in an almost gentle tone that was not lost to the impish faery.

Lili nodded and then smiled at Puck. I have to finish with the throne room, but then I will fulfill my promise. It will take only twenty minutes. Is that okay with you?"

"Yes, Lucy," he answered kindly -his tone was not lost on Jareth- his eyes glowing in anticipation. "I shall be in the study."

"Sure," she said, turning and walking away, with Pete on tow.

"What was all that about?" a suspicious Jareth asked... and then it hit him. "What... did she... promise you?" 

Puck stared at him and blinked in disbelief. Was the cold-hearted Goblin King... actually... concerned... for his maid? Or was he jealous? Puck smiled, deeply amused, as an idea occurred to him. He folded his arms across his chest and tilted his head, a sudden wicked glint in his green eyes. "Your lovely maid and I have a deal... or did you believe I would heal you for free?" Puck asked mischievously, emphasizing the word lovely.

Jareth stiffened at Puck's gaze and words -especially at the word lovely- and, in spite of his weakness, he managed to sit up. What had that child been thinking when she made that kind of deal with the annoying Trickster? Jareth's eyes widened when the obvious answer hit him. She had been thinking... of him! An overwhelming and unexplainable anger started to rise within him. 

He balled his hands into fists; he would not allow such a thing to happen. He glared at the smiling faery. "You can... not do it," he ordered, but then, tired by his outburst, he had to lean back again.

Puck shook his head. "Such a pity," he said, clearly mimicking Jareth. "Sleep now, Goblin King," he commanded, casting a sleep spell over the angry Monarch. The spell was necessary for his recovery, but Puck did not bother to mention that fact. "Just in case... we cannot control our cries..." he whispered in Jareth's ears. "...as we are going to be only next door..."

With that, Puck disappeared.

"I... will... kill... you..." Jareth muttered, just before falling asleep.

******

"I can bring you another slice of pie if you want," Lili suggested, as she watched wide-eyed how Puck almost... inhaled the pie. As he had told Jareth, they were in his Majesty's study, seated on the comfortable armchairs. Puck had a dish with pie on his lap and a fork in his hand.

"On a second thought, I can bring you a whole pie," she added.

"Delicious," he said, patting his stomach in a funny way. "Are you being serious?" he asked with a wide smile.

Lili chuckled. "Yes."

"Then, my Lady," Puck said solemnly, rising from his seat and bowing to her. "I will be forever your most humble servant."

This time, Lili blushed and laugh aloud. "I don't want a servant... but I would be honored to consider you my friend." 

Puck looked intently at her and, completely defeated by her kindness, he nodded. "We shall be friends," he said sincerely, his eyes twinkling merrily. Then, he sat cross-legged, floating in the air before her. He tilted his head. "How does he treat you?" he asked, still surprised by the almost gentle tone Jareth had used with her.

Lili stiffened a bit at his question and then smiled. "In spite of his temper, he is not that bad. At first I was very afraid of him, but now... I'm not. Let's say that... he must be... handled with care," she answered with a hint of mischief.

"Indeed," Puck agreed with a chuckle, noticing a brief tender glint in her eyes. "That leads us to my second question. How is that you became the old man's maid?" he asked with curiosity, for an odd reason he could not believe she was one of Jareth's summoners. 

A sudden sadness clouded her eyes. Lili sighed and shrugged. "I was in the wrong place at the wrong time," she answered, quoting Jareth and, at his puzzled glance, she told him what had happened that day... except for a little detail... that she was actually Sarah's sister. 

"And the most annoying thing," she said, once she was finished, "is that I don't even know why he hates Sarah so much."

Puck shook his head. "He had no right to bring you here," he stated.

Lili seemed to wilt. "As I told you before, he is not that bad... but I do miss my family and friends," she whispered, bowing her head. "It was not my choice," she added, looking at him again, a small grin on her face.

Puck blinked and, not wanting her to be sad, he smiled impishly and leaned forward. "Do you want to know what happened between the all mighty Goblin King and Sarah?" he inquired in his best gossip mode.

"Of course!" Lili exclaimed, deeply interested.

With his eyes twinkling merrily, Puck began his narration. "Twenty-two years ago..."

******

"Wow," was all that Lili managed to say -twenty minutes later- when the faery finished his tale. She knew Sarah had been jealous when Toby had been born, but this was simply... unbelievable. "That's why... he hates her so much? That's why he wants to hurt Sarah's sister? Because she... rejected him?" Lili asked in a low voice, feeling something strange in her heart. She shook her head, annoyed. "But that's ridiculous! He kidnapped her brother and he wanted her to... love him?" she added in disbelief.

"My friend," Puck began to say, a bit surprised by her serious -and slightly annoyed- voice. "He is the Goblin King. What else did you expect? But no, he did not love her; maybe he was infatuated with her, but what really angered him -and still bothers him, as you may know- was that Sarah solved his precious Labyrinth. The powerful Goblin King was defeated by a mortal girl!" Puck explained, enjoying Jareth's predicament. "He was--" The mischievous faery abruptly stopped at the redhead's sad expression. He tilted his head, obviously he had not succeeded in cheering her up. "What is it, Young One?" he asked in an unusually concern voice.

Lili mentally shook herself and choose not to be depressed. She bit her lip and smiled at the nickname. "I... am just impressed, that's all. Did you say the Royal Court?" she asked then, with her best tell-me-a-story look.

Noticing that his new friend really did not want to talk anymore about the incidents that indirectly had caused her presence in the Underground, Puck gladly decided to... enlighten her about the Royal Court. He sat on the armchair and, with an impish smile on his handsome face, he started in his best narrator voice. "The High Court of Avalon..."

******

A couple of hours passed and a certain King began to regain consciousness...

The sound of soft laughter reached to him. He stirred on his bed and opened his eyes. As he heard the laughter again, together with a loud "YES!" He sat bolt upright.

Annoyed and worried to no end, and fully recovered, Jareth rose, magically changed his wrinkled clothes and hurried to his study with long strides.

"Stop!" he yelled as he rudely opened the door... only to find Puck eating a pie and his maid seated by his side.

They both turned to him. The young woman looked at him with a puzzled, but relieved expression on her face and the faery with a mocking twinkle in his green eyes.

"You're okay!" she exclaimed with a grin.

"What is the meaning of this?" Jareth asked coldly, folding his arms across his chest. His previous concern turning into anger.

Lili blinked and her grin faded. Indeed he was fully recovered. "I am sorry if we wake you up, your Majesty," she apologized, misunderstanding his reaction. "It's just that I promised Puck blackberry pie and--"

"Blackberry... pie?" Jareth interrupted her. "You promised him... blackberry pie?" he repeated in disbelief, his fury slowly vanishing.

"Of course. What else did you think?" Puck asked innocently, eating a bit of pie.

"Your Majesty?" Lili insisted with curiosity.

"No... Nothing, of course," an uncomfortable Jareth said, sending a quick murderous glance to Puck and mentally kicking himself. He cleared his throat. "Lucy, you may retire... and no, I do not want you to bring me anything."

Lili smiled and nodded at the king. Then she turned to an amused Puck. "Don't forget your pie."

"Of course not, Young One," he answered in his merry mode. "Not even an army of goblin kings would be able to stop me," he added with a wink.

Lili chuckled and after a little bow, she finally left them alone.

Jareth followed her with his gaze and then stared at the faery. "The deal was blackberry pie?" he insisted, still not believing that the powerful Trickster had accepted such a simple thing... and that he had kept his part of the deal.

Puck laughed and began to float across the room, as if he were swimming. "Yes. I admit I was tempted to ask her for something else... but her eyes..."

"Are too innocent," Jareth finished for him with a small grin, but quickly recovered his kingly mode.

"Ah... so you have noticed it too," the faery replied with a knowing look -that Jareth choose to ignore. "I wonder what else have you noticed..." he added, but at the king's icy glare, Puck wisely decided not to press any further. Even he knew when to stop teasing the bad tempered Goblin King. "Anyway," he continued in an unusually serious voice, almost in a warning tone. "For reasons beyond my comprehension, Lucy cares for you. She is very special and she is now my friend... so do not dare harm her."

"Yes, she cares," Jareth admitted in a faraway voice, but then shook himself. "Are you... threatening me, Trickster?" he asked with a bemused raised eyebrow. "Let me remind you that she is my maid... and no, I have no intentions to harm her."

Puck blinked and shrugged, Jareth's possessive tone not lost on him. Then, unable to keep his serious façade, he smiled mischievously again. "By the way, do you know who attacked you? Maybe a jealous husband... or an angry father... You have been busy lately."

Ignoring his last comment, Jareth shook his head and cleared his throat. "No one attacked me," he said, as serious as he could manage. "It was I who cast the spell."

Puck cocked his head. "You? But--" he began to say and then opened his green eyes wide. "Are you telling me that your spell... bounced? That you... failed?" he asked and, at Jareth's embarrassed expression, he burst into laughter, floating all around the room. "Your spell bounced!" he exclaimed, laughing. "Bounced! Bounced! Bounced!" he repeated... bouncing around the chamber.

Jareth flushed and then paled in anger. He balled his hands into fists. "ENOUGH!" he thundered. In the blink of an eye, Puck fell at the king's feet, wrapped in chains. "So," Jareth said with a dark tone and an equally dark smirk, looking down at him. "My spell bounced. Do you have any problem with that?"

"No, oh Mighty One," Puck answered in an unusually humble voice... but still with impish eyes.

Jareth's grin widened sinisterly. "Good. Now that we have that point clear, I want you to do something for me."

"And in what thing this poor -and tight- faery could be of assistance, oh Greatest One?"

Jareth rolled his eyes at Puck's tone and, not without regret, he snapped his fingers. The chains vanished and the Trickster began to float again. "I want you to locate someone for me. Her name is Lili Williams."

"Lili Williams?" Puck repeated, puzzled, and then it hit him. "Lili Williams as in Sarah Williams?" he asked with a hint of mischief. At Jareth's nod, he understood. "The spell! She was the aim!"

"Yes," Jareth admitted, dryly. "Well?"

Puck tilted his head and took a hand to his chin. Slowly, a smile spread on his face. "As I asked your lovely maid-- what would you give me in return?"

Jareth's grin mirrored the Trickster's. "Oh, just a one way trip to the bog of Eternal Stench; cockroaches and mice included," Jareth answered with a shrug.

With the impish smile still on his face, Puck shook his head and landed before him. "That will not be necessary, oh Generous One. I will do it for free," he said solemnly. "Now, if you excuse me, there is a redheaded lady and a blackberry pie waiting for me."

With a final bow, Puck disappeared.

Jareth let out an exasperate sigh and sat. "I should have sent him to the bog anyway," he muttered, smiling at the thought. However, his grin soon faded. He could not do such a thing, because -in spite of himself- he did feel... grateful. 

Unfortunately, he had the annoying feeling that he would be seeing the trickster a lot... and so would Lucy. 

Jareth blinked in surprise and cocked his head. Why did that particular thought bother him so much?

******

The rest of the day passed quickly and, just like every night before going to bed, Lili went to the library to get a book. To her surprise, she found the Goblin King seated by the fireplace. He had his head leaned back and his eyes closed. 

She blinked and quietly turned to leave.

Just then, Jareth opened his eyes. "Lucy," he suddenly called her.

A bit startled, she looked at him and smiled apologetically. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up."

Jareth shook his head and rose. "I was only resting." 

"Are you not feeling well?" Lili asked. "Puck told me you were fully recovered."

"And I am," he admitted with a small grin. "What else did the Trickster tell you?" he asked then, interested, as he knew they had been talking for a while.

Lili's grin widened and her eyes shone with amusement. "He told me about the Royal Court and Avalon. I've never laughed so much," she answered.

Jareth folded his arms across his chest; for some strange reason her comment bothered him. "You did enjoy his company," he stated, becoming serious.

"Oh, yes," Lili said, "he's cute."

Jareth slightly stiffened at that and an unexplainable anger began to rise within him. "Cute?" he repeated dryly.

Still lost in Puck's tales, Lili did not notice his icy tone. She nodded. "Yes. He reminds me of my brother, they both have the same impish gaze."

Jareth blinked and suddenly all his anger vanished. "Your brother?"

"Yes," Lili said and then, finally noticing something odd about him, she tilted her head. "Is it something wrong, Your Majesty?" She asked.

Jareth quickly shook his head, briefly wondering why her previous words had upset him. "No. It is just that I do not like the Trickster. He is powerful and dangerous. You took a great risk in trusting him, child. You should never make a deal with the Trickster of Avalon."

"Or with the Goblin King," she said, unable to stop herself. At his annoyed look, she apologized. "Oh, I am sorry your Majesty... but did you realize that the same description... applies to you?" she added, for a second her eyes just as mischievous as Puck's.

Jareth looked at her with a raised eyebrow and, in spite of himself; he smiled, amused. "Beware, child, I can still send you to the bog."

Lili became serious, but she knew that he would not do such a thing -for the time being, at least. "Anyway, what else could I have done? I couldn't just sit there and watch you suffer. I can't stand other people's pain. That's why I want-- well, wanted-- to be a doctor," she explained. "There simply was no choice... I had to help you."

Truly touched by her words, Jareth's gaze softened. "And you did help me, child," he said softly, meeting her amber eyes, "but you were lucky. He could have asked you for far more than a piece of pie..."

Lili blushed under his stare -as always- but she did not lower her puzzled -and sweet- gaze.

"I had nothing else to give... and I am not... a child," she managed to say.

"Yes, you are," he whispered with a grin, but then he shook himself and recover his kingly air. "What else did he tell you?" He asked again, still curious. It was well known that Puck was Oberon's best information resource.

Lili blinked and bit her lip. "Well, he..." she started to mutter, smoothing her apron.

At her grounded child look, Jareth immediately got his answer. He stiffened and became serious. "He told you about Sarah, did he not?" the king asked coldly.

Lili nodded and lowered her gaze. "I wanted to know," she admitted, stepping back, as if she wanted to remain near the door... just in case.

Seeing her scared demeanor, Jareth's annoyance melted away. "Well, now you know," he said, unable to hide his discomfort.

Lili raised her head and looked at him with surprise. He had not yelled at her! She cleared her throat and, noticing his sadness, she sighed. "I am so sorry, your Majesty," she said softly, "but you have to admit ... that kidnapping babies -not to mention turning them into goblins- is not the best way to win a woman's heart... And from what I've heard... you don't seem to have any... trouble... with that," she added, blushing a bit as she remembered what the goblins had told her about his Majesty's girls.

Jareth tilted his head and seemed amused for a second, but then he turned serious. "I am the Goblin King!" he stated, as if that alone explained everything.

"No one is telling you otherwise," Lili replied respectfully, brushing a strand of hair away from her eyes, "but that happened twenty-two years ago. Don't you think it is... enough time?" she dared to ask, almost sure that he would yell at her. To her surprise, he didn't, he just shook his head. 

"Time means nothing to me, Lucy. Sarah must pay and she will su--" he abruptly stopped at the sad-exasperated look his maid gave him. He rolled his eyes and returned an exasperated gaze of his own. "I will have my revenge!" he exclaimed, like a spoiled child.

"But that will not make you happy!" Lili replied, a little bit louder that was customary for her.

"Seeing Sarah in pain will make me incredibly happy," he insisted.

"No, it won't," Lili repeated stubbornly, distractedly smoothing her apron.

Jareth shook his head and could not help but smile. It seemed that his maid was a bit... obstinate. "Anyway, it is none of your concern," he stated, ending the subject.

Lili only rolled her eyes. _*If only you knew.*_

Jareth just looked at her with a bemused raised eyebrow. Was she annoyed with him? His grin widened at that strange thought. Well, he knew how to fix that and besides, he did owe her something. "You came for a book, did you not?" he asked then.

Lili blinked, waking up, and nodded. "Oh, yes. I'd forgotten," she said, the smile returning to her face. She approached one of the bookshelves and was about to pick up a book, when Jareth interrupted her.

"Wait, try this one instead," he said, materializing a green book in his hand and offering it to her.

Curious, she took it and when she saw the title, her eyes lit up. "Medicine Plants of the Underworld," she read. She looked up at him in wonder, unable to say a word. 

"Open it," Jareth said, strangely pleased by her grateful expression.

Lili did so and gasped in awe. Every time she turned a page, a perfect tridimensional image of the plant appeared, floating over said page. "It's beautiful," she finally whispered.

"It is just a book," Jareth said, shrugging. "I have hundreds of them, you can keep this one," he added in a bored voice, but with eyes twinkling in satisfaction.

"Thank you!" she exclaimed.

"Do not fool your self. It is not a gift... all that happened is that I needed some room for more books," he said in the same tone as before.

"Oh, of course not, your Majesty," Lili replied with a hint of mischief, playing his game. "Everybody knows that kings don't make gifts to their maids."

"Of course. Now, go to sleep child. I want to read."

"Yes, your Majesty," she said with a smile. "I want to read too. Good night." 

Lili made a little bow and left.

Jareth watched her leave and smiled back. Never had a woman thanked him so sincerely for such a simple gift... and never he had enjoyed giving one so much. "Sweet dreams, child." 

******

Far away from the Goblin King's realm, on the mythical island of Avalon...

In the middle of the night Puck materialized in the most magical place of Avalon, a small and beautiful forest glade, where the Pond of Sight was located. As its name suggested, the waters could show the past, the present and the future, but only the greatest faeries could summon its powers... And, in spite of his mischievous nature, Puck was one of the greatest.

Humming one of his favorite melodies, he sat on one of the stones that circled the pond and lowered his gaze. As always, no reflection could be seen. He extended his hand to touch the water and ask for Lili Williams -at Jareth's request- but he hesitated and withdrew his hand. He knew the Goblin King would show no mercy to the poor girl, just for being Sarah's sister. 

Puck blinked in surprise at his own feelings. Why the concern? He tilted his head and rested his chin on his hands. Perhaps he unconsciously associated that girl with his new friend, Lucy... after all, they would be of the same age... or maybe, he knew that Lucy would not like that girl to be harmed.

He shook his head.

"I am sorry, my friend," he whispered sincerely as he touched the smooth surface. "Show me Sarah's sister. Show me Lili Williams."

At his command the water glowed and, slowly, an image began to appear... a sleeping girl... a redheaded sleeping girl...

"What!" Puck exclaimed in disbelief, once the girl's face was clearly visible. He shook his head, and refusing to believe it, he repeated his order, but the result was the same: Lucy.

The faery tilted his head and folded his arms across his chest at the unexpected revelation. Now he understood his friend's sad -and slightly scared- expression when he had told her about Sarah and Jareth. 

Poor child, living under the constant threat of the Goblin King! 

"Well, I shall not let him harm her," Puck said to himself and then resumed his pensive pose. How could it be that Jareth did not know? The trickster's eyes twinkled and he touched the surface once again. "Show me the past," he said.

The magic water complied, allowing Puck to see what had bought about Jareth's mistake. In his arrogance and haste, he had confused Sarah's sister with Sarah's maid! 

The Trickster chuckled and rolled his eyes, but his amusement only lasted a couple of minutes before he sobered. What would happen to his redheaded friend now? 

True, during his brief visit, he did notice that Jareth did not treat her as a mere servant and that he seemed to like her, but... Would it be that enough to override his hate for Sarah Williams? Would the Goblin King forget about his revenge? 

Puck sighed and shook his head. No. Jareth would show no mercy.

Unless--

The Trickster suddenly stopped that dreadful thought as an idea hit him. He smiled mischievously as the perfect solution occurred to him. Yes, Jareth did seem to like her. In fact, he had been... concerned for her. And, on the other hand, Lu-- Lili was incredibly kind to him... even though she knew that he wanted to hurt her.

"Yes!" he exclaimed, recovering his usual good mood and rubbing his hands. "It is the perfect solution."

"What is it that you want to solve?" a soft voice suddenly asked from behind him.

A bit startled at the voice, Puck immediately rose and bowed respectfully to her owner, the queen of Avalon, Titania. She was tall and slender, with silky blue hair that reached her waist and violet eyes that could see through lies. She wore a simply white gown with a golden belt and had an expression of curiosity on her beautiful face.

Puck tilted his head and smiled. "Would you like to hear a story, your Majesty?"

"A story?" she repeated a bit suspicious, as she sat on one of the stones. "Does it have a happy ending?" she asked then, smoothing her dress.

The Trickster sat by her side and touched the water. "It has not an end yet," he answered enigmatically, lowering his eyes to the pond.

Curious, Titania followed his gaze and saw a sleeping redheaded human girl. "Who is the human child?" she asked, interested.

Puck's grin widened. "She is my friend..."

******

The next day dawn found Lili in the library, as always. She was seated on a couch, with her legs fold up beneath her and she held a book open in her hands.

He silently appeared floating crossed legged before her. He cocked his head and smiled, amused. She was so focused on her book, that she had not noticed him. He cleared his throat.

Startled, the book fell from her hands and she looked up. "Puck!" Lili greeted him, picking up the book. "Do you want more pie?" she asked, bemused, raising an eyebrow.

"I am offended!" he exclaimed in a mocking hurt tone. "Do I need a reason to visit my friend?"

Lili smiled. "His majesty told me not to trust the trickster of Avalon," she teased him.

"Oh! The final blow!" Puck said and, taking both hands to his chest, he fell 'dead' at her feet.

Lili chuckled and bent over him. "Would a slice of chocolate cake be enough to comfort this suffering faery?" she asked solemnly.

Puck opened his eyes and fixed his impish gaze upon her. "Ah... so now you know what I am," he said, sitting crossed legged on the floor.

Lili nodded and gave him her book.

He read the title and grinned. "A midsummer night's dream. Good book, but I think William did not do me justice," he said, leaving the book on a side table.

"It was very... enlightening," she replied in a mischievous tone, leaning back on the armchair. "So, what brings you here?" she asked, looking at him with curiosity.

Puck rose and stood in front of her, an unusually serious expression on his face.

"What is it?" she asked, a bit concerned now.

The faery's eyes glowed tenderly and he let out a sigh. "We are friends, are we not?"

Lili blinked. "Yes."

He smiled and knelt before her. "In spite of what Jareth told you, you can trust me," he said. "I will never let him harm you," he added sincerely.

Lili stiffened at those words and, as she met his eyes, she realized that he... knew. As if confirming her thoughts, Puck snapped his fingers and a flower materialized on her lap... a Lily.

She held it and smiled sadly. "I guess that sooner or later someone would have learned the truth," she whispered, bowing her head.

Puck took a hand to her chin and gently forced her to raise her head. "Do not worry, Young One. I shall not tell him. That is a promise. Please, do not be sad."

Lili's eyes widened and, to Puck's deep surprise, she threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you, my friend," she said softly, unable to stop the tears. "He has never been... rude to me, but I am afraid... that if he learns who I am... he will..." She just could not finish the sentence.

"Hey, calm down. If I were you I would not be so sure about that. I too have noticed he has not been rude to you and, believe me, such a thing is truly strange," a moved Puck soothed her, gently stroking her hair. "As I told you before you can trust me... Lili."

Surprised by hearing her name, after so long, and by his words, she finally released him and smiled at him. "Thank you," she repeated, drying her eyes.

Slightly embarrassed, Puck smiled back.

"There is something that I don't understand, though," she said then, a puzzled expression on her face. "How did you... find me? Since my arrival he has been trying to locate Lili Williams without avail."

Puck's eyes twinkled. "In Avalon there is magical pond that can show the past, the present and the future."

"But his Majesty has his crystals. I've seen him use them."

The faery chuckled. "Yes, but I know that he cast a sphere spell on you to erase your existence from your world."

"Yes, he did," Lili confirmed, biting her lower lip.

"Well, ironically, in doing that, he protected you... from himself," he explained, clearly amused.

Lili blinked. "He once told me that magic doesn't recognize me. I have no magic."

"Exactly!" Puck exclaimed. "As long as his magic does not recognize you, you will be safe."

Lili nodded and then she rose and went to the window. She distractedly lay a hand on the pane. "I still can't believe Sarah has solved that maze," she whispered, "but then, she's always been so strong and brave," she finished, the admiration she felt for her older sister present in each word. 

Puck smiled and followed her. "You are brave and strong too, Young One," he said. "Or do you think there are a lot of people who can stand before the 'sweet' Goblin King without fainting?" he asked, emphasizing the word sweet. 

Lili chuckled and turned to him. "You really know how to cheer people up," she said.

"Of course, my lady," Puck said with a bow and then he took her arm. "Now, sit down with me and tell me about you."

"About me?" she repeated, tilting her head.

"Yes," Puck said, walking to the couch.

Once they were seated, Puck materialized a bowl of popcorn on her lap. Lili gasped in surprise, but then she smiled. 

"Every body likes pop-corn," Puck said with a wink, taking a handful of popcorn. "Now, tell me about you, the real you, Lili Williams."

******

That afternoon, a very annoyed -and disappointed- Jareth was in his study, seated behind his desk. He had a few papers in his hands that he was supposed to be reading, but he just could not concentrate. Puck had recently informed him that he had not been able to locate Lili Williams.

The Goblin King angrily slammed his desk and, outside, thunder roared. That stupid faery had not located Sarah's sister!

Jareth sighed tiredly. If things continued like this he would have to forget about his... revenge...

"NO!" he yelled. "I shall not forget!"

In that very moment, someone knocked the door.

He blinked and took a deep breath to calm himself.

"Come in, Lucy," he managed to say in a decent tone, knowing that only his maid would knock before entering.

He left the papers over the table and looked at the wall clock. It was four o'clock. In spite of his previous anger, he smiled. Lucy always brought him a snack -as she called it- at this time.

"I thought you would like a piece of cake," she said, as she entered. She left a tray with an unusually big slice of cake and a cup of milk over the desk.

Jareth eyed the cake and then looked up at her with a raised eyebrow.

She smiled at him and shrugged. "I also thought chocolate cake would... help to..."

"Improve my bad mood?" he finished for her, folding his arms across his chest.

She blushed and bit her lip. "Well... yes, your Majesty. It's been thundering all afternoon," she admitted.

Jareth rolled his eyes, but had to admit she was right. He took a piece and, as always, it was delicious. A grin played on his face.

"I am glad you liked it," she said.

"Yes," he admitted, amazed of how easily she seemed to read him... And of how soothing her presence was. "You may leave," he quickly added.

Lili nodded and turned. She had walked a couple of steps when she stopped and faced Jareth again. There was something that she needed to ask him especially after her conversation with Puck. She bit her lip and placed a strand of hair behind her ear. 

Jareth looked questioningly at her. "Yes, Lucy?" he asked, realizing by her gaze that it was something important for her.

She took a deep breath. "I was wondering... May I take a walk through your Labyrinth?" she asked shyly, but with a childish glow in her eyes.

Jareth stared at her in disbelief. "Do you want to take a walk through my labyrinth?" He repeated seriously, sitting straight on his chair.

"Yes. Just a short walk," she insisted with a hopeful expression on her face.

"Just a short walk?" he said in a tone that Lili had always associated with her teachers. "Do you not remember what I told you the day of your arrival? My labyrinth is full of traps. It is a dangerous place for the ones who dare to defy me, child. Definitely not the best choice of places to take a walk."

Lili lowered her gaze, disappointed, but then she looked at him again, determined. "Oh... but it has never been my intention to defy you, your Majesty. Please, I will not... break anything," she almost begged with shining eyes.

Jareth blinked and tilted his blond head. On one level, she was right. She had never defied him and, if he gave her permission, his labyrinth might not try to stop her, but still... It was dangerous and she did not seem to be strong enough to face the traps... not as Sarah had been, anyway--

Surprised by his own thoughts, the Goblin King stiffened slightly. Now, where did that comparison had come from? Lucy was nothing like Sarah!

He shook his head. Yes. It would be dangerous for Lucy to go alone... and he did not wish to lose her-- 

Jareth's eyes widened at that. Had he just admitted that he did not wish to... lose her? 

*_No_* he quickly corrected himself. What he had meant was that he did not wish to lose such an efficient maid. 

He relaxed and continued with his musings.

He could not let her go... unless—

A strange idea suddenly occurred to him. Why not? 

He rose from his seat and walked to the window. The awesome sight of the maze greeted his eyes. He smiled. He could not blame her for wanting to take a walk through his labyrinth after all... and, besides, he needed the exercise and the distraction.

He turned to her.

"I have to inspect the northern section. You may come with me, but I warn you, I shall not move a finger to help you if you disobey me and you fall into an oubliette. Understood?" he said, secretly enjoying her startled expression.

Lili looked at him in surprise, but recovered quickly. "Yes, your Majesty," she replied with a grin. "Oubliette?" she asked then. "Something to do with the French oublier?"

Jareth smiled sinisterly. "Yes. That is where I put the people I want to forget about," he explained, walking to the door.

"I... thought you have the... Bog of Eternal Stench for that purpose," she noted timidly.

"Oh, no. There is where I send people I want to get rid of," he answered, morbidly amused. "Well, are you coming or not?" he said, without turning. 

Shaking herself, a curious -and excited- Lili followed him.

******

Once they were gone, certain mischievous faery materialized in the room. He smiled and cocked his head. "A walk through the labyrinth?" He said to himself. "Very promising!"

"Indeed," a soft voice agreed, as a beautiful blue headed woman appeared by his side.

"May I assume you liked the story I told you, your Majesty?" he asked with a respectful bow.

She smiled gently and nodded. "Yes and I do like the human child. I wish to meet her. She is exactly what Jareth needs. She can defeat his ruthlessness with her kindness." She paused for a moment and took a hand to her chin in a thoughtful mode. "I only hope he can defeat his own pride."

"And his bad temper," Puck added, earning a chuckle from her.

She became serious. "Your solution is risky, but I too believe it is the only way for her... and for him. I do not want her to be harmed, though."

Puck nodded and rubbed his hands. "Neither do I. I do have a plan."

"Very well, but you must be extremely careful."

"Am I not always, my queen?" he asked innocently.

Titania rolled her violet eyes and with a final - and slightly mischievous- grin, she disappeared.

"Now, to my plan," Puck said, his eyes twinkling merrily. He sat on Jareth's desk and materialized the finest paper he could manage and a blue glowing feather. "Let us see..." he muttered, as he closed his eyes. A couple of minutes later, he opened them and an impish grin dawned on his handsome face. He began to write in an elegant hand...

__

"Jareth, Goblin King and High Lord of the Underground,

has the honor to invite you to a Masquerade Ball that would be

taking place in the castle beyond the Goblin City..."

Puck chuckled as he wrote. He knew these sorts of invitations should be sent out well in advanced, but he seriously doubted that anyone would reject an invitation from the all mighty Goblin King himself.

"He will love it!"

******

Ten minutes later, Jareth and Lili stood before the great gates of the Goblin City. At their king's order, the goblins in charge of the doors immediately opened them.

"Thank you, guys," Lili shouted, waving a hand. The goblins waved their hands in return.

"Over here, Lucy," Jareth called her.

She nodded and was about to ask him about the door's mechanism, when an enormous junkyard caught her attention. To her surprise, she realized that odd -and old- looking creatures lived amongst it. They all carried huge bags on their back. One of the creatures suddenly fell and, instinctively, Lili started to walk toward him, but a gloved hand on her shoulder stopped her. 

"Do not go," the king ordered her, withdrawing his hand.

"I only want to help," she protested.

Jareth just rolled his eyes. Why did she have to be so kind to everyone? "These are the junk people. It is their duty to carry that burden and keep the garbage in its place. However, if they are lucky enough to deceive a foolish mortal, said mortal has to take the junk man's place," he explained, emphasizing the word foolish.

Lili paled. "That... could have been... me..." she whispered, feeling like an idiot.

"You must never take anything for granted here in my world," he said in a solemn tone, but he did not bother to tell her that he would have never allowed her to take the creature's place.

He then walked in the opposite direction. "We shall go this way. The junk-yard would only lead us to the Bog of Eternal Stench," he said. "And I do not think you are interested in visiting that particular place."

"Of course not, your Majesty," Lili quickly answered, going after him.

"That was what I have thought," he noted, amused.

He stopped by a wall and carefully began to slide his right hand over its surface. "Ah, here it is!" he exclaimed. Jareth had to admit he was a little bit excited after all, it had been a long time since he had actually walked through his labyrinth. He pushed the brick and part of the wall slid to a side. "This secret passage will lead us to the outer doors," he explained. "From there I will start with the inspection," he finished, stepping into the darkness. He snapped his fingers and a dim light illuminated the tunnel.

"A direct way!" Lili gasped. "Has it ever been discovered by your victims... I mean, summoners?"

Jareth chuckled. "No. Ironic, is it not? Besides, that would be no fun... because my labyrinth tends to... fascinate people. Do you not think so?" he replied, lowering his mismatched gaze to her.

Lili reddened and smiled innocently, as if saying, who, me? "How long do we take to the other side?" she asked, averting her eyes and looking around with curiosity. To her surprise, there were huge faces sculptured on the stone, like the Easter Island's Moais.

"Approximately thirty minutes," Jareth answered, not missing her awed expression.

"Just thirty minutes!" Lili repeated in disbelief. "But you give your vic-- summoners thirteen hours to solve it," she said, briefly wondering if Sarah had actually found one of those passages.

"Yes," Jareth confirmed, chuckling again. "And believe me, child, that is not near enough time," he added in his dark mode, clearly enjoying the idea of lost people... especially lost girls.

Lili just rolled her eyes. Why did he have to be so... sinister?

Exactly thirty minutes later, they got to the end of the tunnel and stopped before a ladder. To Lili's astonishment, he suddenly disappeared.

"Climb through the ladder. I shall be waiting outside," his voice echoed.

Lili immediately did so, and soon she got to a closed door, but, to her relief, someone opened it from the outside. Blinking in by the light, she stepped out... and gasped. She had emerged from a fake tree and now she stood in the top of a hill, where a full view of the Labyrinth greeted her eyes.

"Impressive, is it not?" Jareth suddenly whispered in her ear, causing her to jump and to stumble and fall at his feet. He blinked and shook his head. "My, my. Of all the people I have brought here, you are the first one to fall before taking the first step," he said, amused. 

He offered her a hand.

"Thank you," Lili whispered, embarrassed, taking his hand.

He effortlessly pulled her up. "You must be thankful you do not need to solve my labyrinth," he added with a hint of mischief.

Lili blushed. "I guess... I wouldn't have a chance," she admitted, cleaning her clothes. "But then, I would have never wished a child away," she finished, clearly shocked by the idea.

"I know that," he replied, rolling his eyes as he walked toward the gates. He just could not picture her losing her patience and wishing a child away. She was simply too... sweet--

Jareth stopped dead in his tracks. *_Sweet?*_ he repeated in his mind, truly startled, not remembering when it had been the last time he had thought of a woman in that term. He shook his head and continued walking.

Lili finished to sweep the dust away from her jeans and was about to go after him, when she spotted a tiny winged being lying on the ground, near a stone. It was a girl, with a short green dress and long blue hair. She seemed hurt. Without thinking of it twice -and forgetting Jareth's warning- Lili knelt to help the girl.

Jareth reached the gates before he realized that his maid had not followed him. Curious he turned and saw what she was doing. He opened his mouth to tell her about the biting faeries, but then decided against it. She needed to learn about his labyrinth's dangers... and that she should not be so kind to strangers. He just remained quiet, looking intently at her.

Unaware of being the focus of Jareth's interest, Lili carefully picked up the little creature. "Are you all right?" she asked softly, rising from the ground. "I-- Ouch!" Lili exclaimed as the faery suddenly bit her finger. "Hey, there is not need to do that. I won't hurt you," Lili added, sucking on her finger.

The faery stared at Lili with curiosity, beat her sparkling wings and flew around the young woman. A minute later, she flew away.

Lili turned her puzzled gaze to Jareth. "What was that?"

He blinked and tilted his head. That was not what he had expected. She should have thrown the nasty faery away, annoyed... not spoke to her in such a kind way. "That was a biting faery. They are a plague here," Jareth explained.

"Well, she honors her name," Lili said, examining her finger and then looked up at him. "But... I am confused. Puck is a faery too, right?"

Jareth rolled his eyes at the mention of the Trickster's name. "Yes. He is one of the High Faeries or a Fae, if you want."

Lili nodded and looked at him... with a hint of mischief. "You told me you were Fae too, your Majesty," she noted. "I mean... you are not a goblin."

Jareth stared at her with a raised eyebrow and folded his arms across his chest. "I am a Fae, but I have nothing to do with that flying annoyance," he stated. "Or with the Trickster!" 

Lili smiled. "Oh, but they're cute."

"I thought my goblins were cute," Jareth said, giving her a sideways glance.

"Yes, they are... in their unique goblin way," she replied innocently.

Unable to stop himself, Jareth smiled back, but then he quickly recovered his kingly mode. He indicated her the gates. "Shall we proceed?" With a wave of a hand, the doors opened. They entered the labyrinth.

Lili gasped in surprise, all that she could see was an endless corridor, no openings, and no turnings.

Jareth gave her an amused glance. "Follow me."

They had walked a couple of steps, when Lili abruptly stopped and knelt before some weird plants. "Eyed Lichen!" she exclaimed, looking up at him, her own eyes shining. "They're in the book you gave me--" she stopped for a moment and then a smile lit up her face. "Its tears can cure... the common cold," she finished.

Jareth nodded, oddly pleased by her child-like excitement and a little bit surprise that she had already learned about the plants. "Very good. You can always find them near the exterior wall," he said.

"They give it a creepy touch," she noted, rising.

Jareth rolled his eyes at her last comment and then he continued walking. Lili followed him, always stopping every now and then to give a closer look at the lichen and, in one occasion, she could have sworn they winked at her.

Unexpectedly, they heard an "allo."

Lili looked around, but she didn't see anyone.

"Allo," the odd voice spoke again.

Puzzled, she turned to Jareth. As an answer, he looked down. Lili followed his gaze and her grin widened when she saw the owner of that voice: a pink worm with electric-blue hair and a purple scarf!

"Hello," Lili said politely.

"Allo," the worm repeated with a grin. Then, he directed his gaze to the king. "Your Majesty, what an honor. Do you and the Lady wish to come inside and miss the missus?" he respectfully invited them.

Jareth smiled and denied with a shake of his head. "Maybe at another time," he replied.

The worm seemed disappointed for a second, but then he smiled again. "As you wish, Sire," he said, bowing his little head.

With a nod, Jareth left.

"Good bye," a smiling Lili added, hurrying after the king.

"What is it that you find so amusing?" Jareth asked after a while, a bit annoyed.

"Well... it's just that you were so... polite with him," she answered.

Jareth sighed at her surprised tone. "As you should know by now, Lucy, I can be generous too. Besides, the worm is a loyal subject. He is the guardian of the wall passage."

"The wall passage?" Lili asked.

"Another secret way to my castle," he explained. "My labyrinth is full of them."

"But... aren't you afraid that your vi-- summoners... may discover one of them?"

At her question, Jareth chuckled and that wicked grin of his slowly spread on his face. "No, Lucy. It matters not if they find a secret way... because... I have another methods to stop them," he replied sinisterly. "More... pleasant methods, if you know what I mean," he finished, leaning closer.

Lili blushed and lowered her gaze as she could easily imagine his... methods. 

"Shall we continue?" he said then, without taking his eyes from her, clearly enjoying her reaction. Not for the first time he felt intrigued and amused by her shyness. It was just that all the beautiful women he had known, were anything but shy... including Sarah--

Jareth slightly stiffened and blinked in surprise as he realized he had compared Lucy with Sarah for the second time that day. Annoyed, he shook his head and balled his hands into fists. This was ridiculous! His maid had nothing to do with his enemy!

Without a word, he began to walk faster.

Puzzled by his sudden change of mood and wondering what could have upset him now, Lili shrugged and followed him.

"Are you all right, Your Majesty?" she asked after a long moment of silence.

He stopped and, still confused by his previous thought, he spun around to tell her it was not her business, but seeing the genuine concern in her eyes, he relaxed. "I am fine," he said and, in spite of himself, he smiled.

Lili smiled back and, to her delight, the tour continued...

******

She quietly walked by his side, feeling strangely close to him... as if they were... on a date--

Lili flushed and bit her lip at that insane thought. Where did that had come from? Nothing like that would ever happen. It the best situation, he was the king and she was just the maid. In the worst situation... she was Sarah's sister and he was her... executioner.

__

*Just great.*

She smiled sadly and just kept on walking, until something caught her attention...

******

As strange as it was, Jareth soon had to admit he was enjoying the walk... and the company. Lucy was so easy to impress; she appeared to have the curiosity of a child. Well, compared to him, she was a child. He chuckled inwardly; at least he would never have to reorder time or turn the world upside-down for her--

Jareth stiffened and his eyes widened. Now, why in the world would he want to do that anyway? She was not one of his summoners; he did not want to seduce her! She was just... his maid. 

As focused on his thoughts as he was, he didn't notice that she had stopped to look a small glowing flower. He just continued his way... until he disappeared around the next turn...

******

Lili admired the little sparkling flower in awe. A grin played on her face as she remembered the drawing in her book. It was a Shining Daisy and its petals made a powerful sleeping potion. Lili raised her gaze to Jareth to ask him more about it and gasped when she realized that she was... alone! Startled, she rose and looked around. The king was nowhere to be seen.

"Your Majesty!" she called him. "Your Majesty," she repeated louder, but nobody answered. Yes, he was gone. Lili blinked and sighed. Probably he had found more interesting things to do... than walk with his... maid. But, what else had she expected? Lili rolled her eyes at that and shook her head, banning that ridiculous thought.

Annoyed with herself, she smoothed her T-shirt and cleared her throat.

"Enough of that... It doesn't matter if he got bored and left," she admonished herself. "Okay, all I have to do is find one of those passages."

She approached the wall and carefully began to push the bricks one by one. Suddenly, one of them slid to a side and a door was revealed. With a satisfied smirk on her face, Lili was about to enter, when a high-pitched voice spoke behind her.

"I would not do that if I were you."

Startled, Lili quickly spun around, only to find the same faery that had bitten her. The tiny being flew in front of her, just like a humming bird.

"Well, hello again," Lili said with a hint of annoyance, her finger still hurt a bit. "And why wouldn't you go that way?" she asked then, taking her hands to her hips.

The faery rolled her eyes. "Because I would not want to end in the Bog of Eternal Stench," the little thing replied matter-of-factly.

"So... this tunnel doesn't lead to the castle?" Lili asked disappointed, but then looked at the faery with a raised eyebrow. And why should I believe you? After all you bit me!"

The sparkling creature seemed amused and shrugged apologetically. "Sorry, it was just a reflex. When you have my size, you bite first and ask questions later," she explained and, before that a curious Lili could reply, the faery grabbed the redhead's T-shirt -a very small part- and pulled her. "Come with me! I'll take you to a safe place to wait."

"I don't know... perhaps I should stay here and-- Besides, I don't even know your name!" Lili said, still a bit suspicious.

The faery tilted her head and flew before Lili's eyes. "Well, all faeries have flower names. Since I am a Blue Bell faery, you can call me Bell. And yes, you can stay here, but I know you will like my garden. Come with me," Bell insisted, pulling Lili's T-shirt again. "It will be fun!"

Lili blinked and, seeing the little faery so determined, she finally smiled. "Okay, let's go. I'm Lucy, by the way," she said, not too happy with the lie, but she just couldn't risk telling Bell her real name.

"I know," Bell said enigmatically, contently flying around the young woman.

"You do?" Lili asked, surprised. 

Bell ran a hand through her blue hair and nodded. "Yes. I have been following you since you entered the labyrinth and when Jareth left I decided to talk to you."

Lili shrugged. "Yeah... well... I suppose he got bored of my company," she said, unable to hide her disappointment.

Bell grinned and shook her little head. "Oh, no. He didn't get bored, he just got lost."

"But..."

"What is your relation with him?" Bell asked, looking intently at her. "You don not seem to be one of his... girls."

" I'm not. I'm his maid," Lili answered, feeling strangely embarrassed under Bell's stare.

"Oh," the faery said mischievously, again that enigmatic look in her violet eyes.

Then, she smiled happily and flew in front of the young woman, leading the way. "Come on, my garden is near."

Shaking her head and having nothing else to do -and being curious- Lili followed her newfound friend.

******

"So, Lucy, what do you think--" a proud Jareth began to ask, but abruptly stopped when he realized he was alone! He shook his head, annoyed. Where had that child gone? Had she not heard his warnings? He rolled his eyes and sighed, exasperate. Surely she had been distracted by a simple detail, maybe a plant or a bird... even a stone could have caught her attention!

Jareth folded his arms across his chest, in full Goblin King mode, a serious expression on his face. "Well, now you will have to find the way back alone!" He stated, as if she were standing there. 

He smiled, sinisterly. Yes, she deserved that punishment. She dared to disobey him! It did not matter if she fell to a oubliette... or if the night surprised her in the labyrinth... or if his most dangerous subjects took her for one of his summoners... or if she...

His grin faded and concern began to rise within him. With an annoyed growl, he turned into the owl and silently flew away... to look for his lost maid.

******

Bell led Lili through an impressive forest. The trees were so tall that she could not see the upper branches and the trunks had the most incredible colors: purple, light-blue, metallic pinks and even a shade of glowing cyan. A soft and sweet music could be heard and a fresh scent filled the air. Marveled, Lili stopped walking and leaned a hand on a tree. She gasped in surprise. The bark was unexpectedly soft and warm and incredibly alive. She closed her eyes and smiled in delight; the music was so soothing... it touched her very soul...

Suddenly, Lili stiffened and opened her eyes wide, as a vivid memory of her family and friend arose in her mind. Every happy moment she had spent with them, reached to her. As abruptly as it had started, it ended and Lili could not stop the tears. Until that moment, she had done every thing in her power to forget how much she missed them, but now...

Unexpectedly, the image changed and Lili saw the moment when Jareth had given her the book of medicine plants, his mischievous eyes and gentle smile and--

Lili blushed in a deep red and quickly withdrew her hand.

"Are you all right, Lucy?" Bell asked, interrupting the young woman's thoughts. At the girl's nod, she continued. "This is the Singing Forest," Bell explained softly. "Its music makes us remember... but they should be happy memories. Why are you crying, Lucy?" she asked, fixing her worried violet eyes upon the girl. "Did you see something wrong?"

Lili shook her head and smiled sadly. "Oh, no, they were happy," she said, drying her eyes. "It's just that... I miss my family..."

Bell folded her arms across her chest. "He should have not brought you here," she stated and then rolled her eyes. "But he had always been so stubborn... and after his failed adventure with Sarah, he has gotten worse."

Lili sighed and nodded. 

Bell blinked and, seeing the human child so depressed -and a little bit flushed- she glowed brightly and flew around her several times, until Lili was covered with a sparkling glitter.

"What is this?" Lili asked, sneezing and staring at her now glittering hands.

Bell chuckled. "Just sparkling mist to cheer you up. Does it work?" she asked, tilting her little head.

Lili looked at her and, seeing Bell's interested expression, she could not help but smile. "Yes. Can we go to your garden, now?"

Bell nodded and glowed happily. "Sure, follow me!"

******


	3. Why 3

Once they were gone, a white owl descended from the tree he had been hiding in and recovered his human form.

Jareth frowned as he watched them leave. What was with that child? She seemed to be a magnet for annoying creatures such as the Trickster and that blue bell faery. And where in the Underground was that creature taking his maid? He rolled his eyes and let out a sigh. It had been rather easy to find her; after all it was his labyrinth. However, when he had seen her feeling the music, so serene, he had decided to give her some time... But then, to his surprise, she had started to cry.

The Goblin King tilted his head and a gentle grin played across his face. Perhaps he had gotten so used to Lucy that he forgot she had arrived only a couple of months ago. Even though she never complained and she always smiled, it was logical she would miss her family and friends... and that she must feel alone--

Jareth blinked and stiffened. Had he just admitted he was used to Lucy? He, who always got quickly bored of all the princesses and Ladies? True, he did like her -as his maid, of course- but that did not mean that he...

He shook his head, confused by the thought and distractedly leaned on the same tree Lili had touched.

Immediately, he relaxed and all his annoyance disappeared, as the music surrounded him and his own happy memories flashed in his mind...

He was ten years old again and he was in the same forest with a beautiful woman, his beloved mother. She was tall and slender, her blond hair reaching her shoulders and her blue eyes had such a gentle look...

Unexpectedly, a pair of amber eyes replaced the image of his mother. A gaze so deep and tender that touched his entire being... Lucy's eyes!

Startled and overwhelmed buy the vision, Jareth gasped and jumped away from the tree. He stared blankly the trunk and then took a hand to his temples. What was happening to him today? For the zillionth time, SHE WAS JUST HIS MAID! Shaking his head, he turned into an owl and, beating his wings, he went after her.

******

"Is it much farther?" a tired Lili asked her winged friend

She had been following Bell through a bush tunnel for a while and she was beginning to think they would never reach the end of it.

Bell giggled and flew around the young woman's head. "No, it's right there," she answered, holding a strand of Lili's hair.

"Are you sure?" the redhead asked and was about to add something else, when the view of an arch covered with white, climbing roses distracted her.

They stepped through the arch and Lili's jaw fell open as she suddenly found herself in the most beautiful garden she had ever seen. It was rather small, surrounded by a bright green hedge, divided in four sections. Each one had a small fountain surrounded with wild flowers. Four paths led to a lovely gazebo located in the center and -to Lili's delight- it was covered with white, climbing roses too.

Amazed, Lili followed one of the paths and stepped into the gazebo. She looked around and carefully touched a rose. "It's so perfect," she whispered in awe, as she smelled it. The sent was sweet and fresh. "White roses are my favorites," she added, sitting on a bench. "Thank you so much for bringing me here, Bell!"

"I'm glad you liked it," Bell said, looking tenderly at her. Then, as she caught a glimpse of white hidden behind a tree, she smiled mischievously and sat on Lili's knee.

"What do you think of him?" she asked. "Lucy!" Bell insisted, rolling her eyes.

"Him, who?" Lili asked, the garden occupying all of her attention for the moment.

"You know, him, his Majesty, the Goblin King, Jareth!" Bell said in a louder voice.

Lili blinked and looked at Bell. "He... is not bad," she admitted shyly shrugging and blushing a bit.

"Not bad!" Bell repeated, trying hard not to laugh... as she knew there was an extra pair of ears somewhere in the garden.

******

In his hideout, with a slightly wounded ego, Jareth had to struggle for no to fall from the branch he was perched on. _*NOT BAD!*_ he mentally yelled. _*That child needs a pair of glasses!*_

******

"Yes, not bad," Lili said with a grin, Bell's amusement not lost to her. "I mean... he is... well... handsome, but he is also bad tempered... and terribly spoiled... spoiled, big child," she added.

This time, Bell could not stop the laughter. "You described him too well," the faery agreed between giggles, almost falling from her friend's knee.

Infected by Bell's laughter, Lili laughed too.

******

Jareth watched them -and heard them- in disbelief, his owl claws tightly -and angrily- holding the branch. Had Lucy just called him... spoiled child? Were they... laughing at him? Him! Who was one of the most powerful beings of the whole Underground World! Him! Who was every woman's -mortal or immortal- fantasy? No one spoke of him in that way and remained in one piece! Oh, no! Lucy would listen to him! She would learn that--

So annoyed he was, that he suddenly lost his equilibrium... and fell to the ground, painfully... and loudly. Too dizzy to move, and unable to recover his human form, he just remained on the ground... wondering what those little owls were doing flying over his head... then, every thing went black.

******

"Did you hear that?" Lili asked, rising from the bench and looking around.

"Yes," Bell answered with a nod.

"What was it?"

"I don't know," the little faery said, shrugging, although she could have sworn she saw a white feather floating around.

"It came from there," Lili added, leaving the gazebo and walking toward a group of small trees. "An owl!" she exclaimed when she saw the unconscious bird lay on the grass. "Poor thing. What were you doing flying during the day?" she asked softly, carefully picking up the still bird and cradling against her chest. "Surely it must have collided with a tree," the redhead added, turning to her small, winged friend.

Bell's eyes widened. "Lucy, the owl..." she began to say, a strange twinkle in her eyes.

"What is it, Bell?" Lili asked, while she gently touched the bird's wings. To her relief, they were unharmed. "Bell?" she insisted, raising her gaze.

Bell blinked and, seeing her friend's innocent gaze and how concern she was for the 'owl', she just could not tell her who the owl was. "Oh... nothing. Why don't you sit down?" Bell suggested instead, with her mischievous grin.

Lili looked at her with a raised eyebrow, but finally nodded. "Okay, I must admit this friend here is a little heavy," she said, returning to the bench.

"I bet he is," Bell muttered, deeply amused.

******

Slowly, Jareth began to regain consciousness, but he did not open his eyes. Completely disoriented, he had not a clue where he was, but he felt so warm and safe...

He could hear and incredible soothing sound, like a soft drum. He stirred a little now and a scent of roses, together with chocolate... and cookies reached him

Deeply comfortable he moved a wing and--

__

*Wing?* he thought, puzzled, and only then he remembered what had happened... and why he had fallen. But where was he?

"Ah, finally you are awake," a kind and familiar voice suddenly said, as the same time a hand gently stroked his feathered chest.

Startled, he opened his eyes... only to find his maid's tender -tender!- gaze fixed upon him. His eyes widened as he finally realized where he was! To his annoyance, he also noticed that the blue bell faery was starring mockingly at him, seated on Lucy's shoulder.

Jareth blinked. It was obvious that Lucy did not know he was the owl. Fortunately, that creature had not told her.

Unexpectedly, the young woman stroked his chest again and all his annoyance vanished. In spite of himself, he trembled in delight and melted against her, realizing that the soothing sound he had heard before was her heart beat. Perhaps he could forgive her for having called him... spoiled child...

To his disappointment, it ended too soon, as his redheaded maid carefully placed him over the bench. He stood there, as proud as he could manage... in his current form.

Lili looked at him and, after a little hesitation, she extended her arm and gently ran a hand through his wing. "Hey, I am happy you are okay," she said with a grin. Then, she turned to Bell. "He seems to be fine."

"Oh, yes he is!" Bell exclaimed, almost chuckling, earning a glare from the king, who beat his wings in a threatening way.

Deeply amused, Bell hid behind the young woman. Bell knew the girl was only the Goblin King's maid, but she could clearly tell that Jareth would never harm her. In fact, during the time she had followed them, she had noticed he was almost gentle with her... he definitely had not treated her as a mere servant. Yes, Puck had been right.

"Be careful, Bell," Lili said in a teasing voice, interrupting the faery's thoughts. "Maybe owls like to eat faeries."

"Oh if he knows what is good for him, he would never dare," Bell replied in the same tone.

Lili chuckled and Jareth shook his head, truly disgusted by the idea of eating a faery!

Then, suddenly noticing the dimming light, Lili eyed her watch and gasped, it was a quarter to nine! "I have to go now, Bell," she said, rising from the bench. "It's almost diner time. Thank you so much for inviting me here. I hope we can meet again— Hey, you can visit me at the castle. I will give you delicious things to eat."

With a last smile, Lili started to walk to the exit.

Bell blinked and quickly flew after her. "Lucy, are you not going to wait for Jareth?" she asked, placing herself between the young woman and the tunnel.

Lili shook her red head and shrugged. "No. He obviously forgot about me," she answered matter-of-factly. "I would appreciate if you show me the right secret passage, though," she added. "I don't want to end in the infamous bog."

"No, you cannot walk through the labyrinth after the sunset. You must wait here," Bell insisted, giving the owl a quick -and slightly annoyed- glance.

Jareth blinked and, as tedious as it was, he had to admit the faery was right. His labyrinth was dangerous at night... and, besides, he had not forgotten his maid. He just flew away.

"See, even the owl left," Lili said, following the bird with her gaze. "Bye, Bell."

Lili turned to leave... but in doing so, she bumped into someone... a tall someone who placed his gloved hands on her shoulders.

Startled, she raised her head and her eyes widened in surprise. "Your Majesty!" She exclaimed, jumping a step back and blushing crimson red.

Jareth withdrew his hands and looked at her with a bemused raised eyebrow, briefly wondering what her reaction would be if she were to find out he was the owl... But then, he became serious as he realized he did not want her to know that he had been following her the whole time.

He cleared his throat and folded his arms across his chest. "Can you tell me what are you doing here, with that faery?" he asked, in his full Goblin King mode.

Bell just stuck her tong at him and Lili bit her lip and adopted that grounded child look that he found so amusing.

"I was waiting for you... your Majesty. Bell was kind enough to show me her beautiful garden," she said with an innocent grin.

"Yes, you left her behind, alone!" Bell added with a how-could-you-do-that look, putting her hands on her hips and flying in front of his face. "She could have been hurt!"

Jareth slightly stiffened at the faery's unusual powerful and serious tone, but quickly recovered himself. He looked at his maid. "I did not leave you behind, child. In spite of my warnings you stepped way from me," he told her, his gaze softening a bit, earning a surprised glance from her. Then, he turned to the faery. "What I do and what I stop from doing is not of your concern," he stated and looked at the girl again. "And, Lucy, this is my labyrinth, therefor this is my garden. Understood?"

"No, it's mine!" Bell exclaimed, recovering her mischievous glow.

Annoyed, Jareth opened his mouth to admonish her, but then decided that the creature was not worth the effort. He rolled his eyes. "It is time to go back to the castle, child," he said seriously.

"Yes, your Majesty," Lili agreed, mentally smiling at the king's and her friend's exchange. "See you, Bell."

"Wait, Lucy," Bell said and waving a hand, a basket full of white roses appeared at Lili's feet. "Take those with you... and yes, we'll met again." 

Lili's face lit up in excitement. "They are beautiful! Thank you, Bell!" Lili exclaimed, picking up the basket.

Bell smiled, pleased. "I'm glad you like them and, Lucy, you can come here any time you want... after all, this is my garden," she added, looking pointedly at the Goblin King, who just chose to ignore her.

"Can we go now, Lucy?" He asked, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Of course, your Majesty," Lili said and, after a last good bye to her new friend, she entered the tunnel, closely followed by a serious Jareth.

Bell watched them leave and once sure they could not see her, her body began to glow, until a tall, slender woman, with blue hair and violet eyes was revealed.

"Very promising indeed," she whispered mischievously.

******

The young woman and the king walked their way back to the castle in a thoughtful silence. 

Lili held her basket tightly and walked with her head bowed, still surprised that he had returned for her. 

On the other hand, Jareth also walked with his head bowed, not understanding why the faery's words had affected him so much, to the point that he had given his maid an explanation... He, who never explained anything to anyone!

They continued like that for a moment until a cold wind suddenly blew and Lili sneezed. 

Jareth rolled his eyes and, convincing himself that he was doing it because a sick maid would not do her job, he materialized a thick, long cape and, to Lili's surprise, gently placed it around her shoulders.

"Better?" he asked, as he tied it around her neck.

"Yes... thank you, your Majesty," she managed to answer with a shy grin... and red cheeks.

Jareth nodded and they continued their way.

"Do all your vic-- summoners find Bell's garden?" she asked a couple of minutes later.

Jareth lowered his gaze to her. "My garden," he began to say, emphasizing the word my, "is one of the most secret parts of the labyrinth. No one gets there unless they are invited."

"Bell invited me. I hope you don't mind," Lili said innocently. "It is so beautiful..."

"Yes," Jareth admitted, smiling back.

Lili tilted her head and gave him her best 'may-I' look. "May I... visit your garden again?" she asked hopefully, her eyes shining.

He looked at her, not at all surprised by her request. He stroked his chin, as if he were considering her question. "Yes, but only after your duties," he said at last, trying in vain to seem stern.

"Of course, your Majesty!" Lili exclaimed, a wide grin on her face. "Thank you!" With that, she happily continued walking by his side.

Jareth just shook his head as he realized that more than tolerant, he was being generous with her... and the strangest -and slightly annoying- part was that he... actually liked it!

******

That night, when Jareth entered his chamber, a soft scent of roses greeted him. He could not help but smile as he saw a flower vase with those flowers placed over his desk. He chuckled. Surely Lucy would fill his castle with them now. Not that he minded it, though. He sat on his bed and tilted his head, for the first time allowing his mind to freely ponder the subject of his redheaded maid.

What was with that child that made him act almost like a human? What was it about her that... touched him? She was not stunningly beautiful; in fact, with her freckles and short hair, she was not even his type. Her temper was too soft, she was not a challenge to him -and he loved challenges. She neither was one of his summoners nor was she a dreamer. They were lots of things she was not... things that he considered necessary in any woman that should spark his interest. On the contrary, she was extremely kind and gentle, even with his goblins. She was respectful and she never complained... Not to mention her bad taste in clothing...

Jareth shook his head and sighed. _*Yes... what is it with you, child?*_ he thought with a resigned smile.

******

In her room, Lili arranged her roses before climbing into bed. She stifled a yawn as she pulled up the covers. A dreamy grin played on her face as she thought about the past day. She had visited an amazing place, she had met a new friend, Bell, the mischievous faery; but she knew that was not the reason for her current smile. Oh, no. 

Lili blushed furiously and let out a resigned sigh as she finally admitted to herself that Jareth already had a big part of her heart...

"Stockholm Syndrome," she muttered, turning off the lights and closing her eyes. "Great."

******

Time passed and everything was relatively clam... considering the ruler's bad temper, the hyperactive subjects and the frequent visits Puck and Bell paid -to Jareth's great annoyance- to their redheaded friend. One day, however, the... 'Peace' was shattered by the arrival of unexpected letters...

"Lucy, Lucy!" Pete exclaimed, as he hurried into the kitchen.

"What is it, Pete?" Lili asked, leaving a knife and the apple she had been pealing over a dish.

"This arrived for his Majesty," he informed, showing her a green, sealed envelope.

"Well? Why don't you take it to him?" she asked, even though she knew the coming answer.

"No! You take it," Pete insisted, clearly frightened by the idea of giving his king the letter. What if he... didn't like it? "He never gets mad at you, but if I go, he may... send me to the bog!"

Lili chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Okay, just let me wash my hands." 

Once she was finished, she took the envelope and, after giving it a curious look, went to the throne room.

******

Jareth lay sprawled on his throne, distractedly watching a pair of goblins run after a chicken, trying in vain to catch the nervous bird.

"Hey, come here!" one yelled.

"Stop! Lucy promised she would give us cookies if we keep you out!" The other one exclaimed. 

"Chocolate cookies!" the first one added, running faster.

Jareth rolled his eyes and mentally smiled. I seemed that his subjects paid more attention to Lucy than to him.

Suddenly, the distressed bird collided with a wall and continued its erratic flight... until it landed on his Majesty's head.

The goblins froze and stared afraid at their master.

Jareth opened his mouth to admonish the stupid creatures, but was abruptly interrupted by a stifled laughter. Annoyed, he turned his gaze to the door and saw his maid looking at them with wide opened eyes and a hand on her mouth. Jareth stiffened slightly. She was shaking... with barely contained laughter!

Without a word, the unfortunate goblins and the bird disappeared. "Do you want to join them?" he asked then, a serious expression on his face.

Lili cleared her throat and, gathering all her will power, she finally could stop the laughter... but she could not hide her amusement. "Of course not your Majesty. I am sorry," she apologized respectfully.

"Good," Jareth said, trying hard to ignore her merry eyes. "Is there anything that you want?" he asked, still keeping his Goblin King mode.

"Yes, your Majesty," she said with a grin, approaching him. "This letter has just arrived for you," she said, giving it to him.

Deeply curious, he read the remittent. To his surprise, it was from Thelian, the Elven King. He was about to open it, when a goblin entered the chamber, carrying two more letters. A minute later, two dwarves came in, each one with a bag full with sealed envelopes. The strange arrival continued for a while, until Jareth had twenty huge bags full of envelopes at his feet.

Jareth blinked and looked questioningly at his maid. She just shrugged, her curiosity twinkling in her amber eyes. "There is only one way to find out," she suggested.

After a little hesitation Jareth opened the envelope he had in his hand and began to read, his face becoming more puzzled with each passing word. "We are honored and we gladly accept your invitation..." Jareth read aloud in disbelief.

Quickly he opened another envelope, and another... and another...

To his surprise, all of them were elegant notes... confirming the attendance to his birthday ball... that would be taking place the next week!

"What is the meaning of this!" he barked, agitatedly worrying one of the letters.

Intrigued to say at least, Lili dared to pick up one of the open letters. "I didn't know it was your birthday... or that you would be giving a ball," she said, looking at him.

"It is not and I am not!" Jareth yelled, getting angrier with each passing second. He threw the letter he had been holding to the floor and balled his hands into fists. Who would have dared to do such a thing? To send invitations... using his name! HIS NAME! Who--

As the answered suddenly hit him, he paled in anger.

"PUCK!" he thundered, causing Lili to go a couple of steps back and the goblins to fly out of the room.

"SHOW YOURSELF, TRICKSTER!" he yelled again.

"Okay, okay, here I am. You do not need to raise your voice, oh Screaming One," a patronizing voice said, as the mischievous Fae materialized before the king.

He gave a quick -amused- glance at Lili and then looked at the not so amused Goblin King. "What can I do for you, Oh Angry One?" Puck asked, his face the mask of innocence.

Jareth mentally counted up to ten so as not to vaporize the insolent Fae before getting his answers. "Do you have anything to do with these?" he asked, indicating the bags.

Puck blinked and took a hand to his chin. "I do not know... Perhaps you should get poor Lucy a vacuum cleaner," he said seriously.

Lili gasped and Jareth did not say a word, however, his eyes glowed and several thunderclaps could be heard in the distance.

Suddenly realizing that he was pushing the king too far, Puck bowed in respect and cleared his throat. "They are greeting cards, are they not?"

"Yes," Jareth said dryly. "A confirmation for my... birthday ball to be precise," he added in a threatening tone.

"Well, there is your answer," Puck said, picking up one of the letters. "Ah, the Lord of Darkness will come too.... Congratulations, oh Annoyed One, your birthday ball will be a great success!"

"Except that I never sent an invitation!" Jareth thundered, grabbing Puck by his collar and lifting him up.

"Perhaps... I took the... liberty," the Trickster said, gasping for air. "But if you... do... not like the idea... you can always... cancel it."

Jareth dropped him and shook his head. "You know that I cannot do that! One cannot simply... cancel the invitation to the whole Royal Court!" he barked.

Puck fixed his wrinkled clothes and gave Lili a reassuring wink. He folded his arms across his chest and tilted his head. "Oh, come on! When was the last time you actually attended a ball?" he asked.

"That is not your concern!" Jareth stated, realizing with a start that the last time he had been in a ball... it had been during Sarah's fantasy.

"See?" Puck said with a knowing look, "it's a ball, nothing more..." he added, clearly mimicking him.

Jareth glared at him and sighed, defeated. "I should kill you," he hissed, earning a gasp from Lili. He gave her a quick glance and then continued. "But on a second thought, you will have to take care of everything. Do not dare to fail me this time, Trickster," he said in a warning tone.

Puck's eyes twinkled merrily, as always. "Of course not! The ball will be a success, as I have told you. Besides, I already know who will be my date."

"You do?" Jareth asked suspicious, curious in spite of himself.

"Yes, Oh Curious One," he said and, to Jareth's astonishment, Puck turned to his maid and bowed to her. "Would you like to accompany me to the ball, my Lady," he asked to a startled Lili.

She blushed furiously and opened her eyes wide. "But... I... "

"Please, say yes, Lucy," Puck insisted with a grin. 

"But... his Majesty..."

"You may go if you wish," Jareth interrupted her, unexplainably... uncomfortable with the idea.

Lili blinked in surprise and looked at her boss. "I... can?"

Mollified -and slightly amused- by her startled expression, Jareth could not stop the smile dawning on his face, and nodded.

"Yes. It is set, then!" Puck exclaimed happily, his eyes more impish than ever.

******

The following seven days passed by in a blur for the ones who lived in the castle beyond the Goblin City and soon the expected night of the Masquerade Ball arrived...

Completely clad in black with a long, elegant cape flowing behind him, a dragon-like mask covering his face and his pendant sparkling on his chest, Jareth the Goblin King, made his way to the ball room. He was passing outside the library, distracted, when suddenly someone steeped outside said chamber and bumped into him.

"Puck!" Jareth exclaimed, annoyed, rolling his eyes and fixing his mask. "What in the Underground are you doing here? The ball room is downstairs." 

The Trickster too fixed his mask and smoothed his dark-green, elegant suit and cape. "Forgive me, oh, Dark One," he apologized and then he smiled brightly. "I am waiting for my date, of course," he said seriously, but with impish eyes, emphasizing the word date. "Or do you expect me to let Lucy arrive at the Ball alone? What kind of escort would I be then?"

Jareth shook his head and opened his mouth to tell him the kind of escort he already was, when quick footsteps and an agitated breathing interrupted him.

"Please, forgive my delay," a soft -and slightly embarrassed- voice said from behind them, "But Bell insisted... well... in... dressing me up."

Jareth and Puck turned... and their jaws hit the floor when they saw the stunning young woman that stood before them. She was disguised as a flower. Her dress was a combination of emerald green and shimmering white, forming the sepals and petals. The skirt was flowing and the bodice comfortably tight, with a heart-shaped neckline and thin straps. Her usually straight hair was slightly curled and decorated with small roses. She wore long, white gloves and a rose-like mask covered half of her face. The only jewel she wore was her ever-present medal hanging from the delicate golden chain.

For once, Jareth could not say a word. Was she the same girl who cleaned his castle and cooked for him? Was she the same child... _who was not even his type_? 

Lili blushed furiously under their stares -especially Jareth's- and, nervous, she cleared her throat. "Well... am I... properly dressed... for the occasion?" she asked, biting her lower lip and smoothing her skirt.

Puck was the first one to recover, never had he thought she would look so... spectacular... If she were not her friend, he would-- 

He shook himself and bowed to her. "You look beautiful, Young One," he said sincerely, "Or should I say Lady Rose?"

Lili blushed even more and chuckled. "Puck! There is no need to tease me," she said and then, a mischievous grin played on her face. "By the way, you look cute too," she added.

"He look ridiculous and you look... presentable enough!" Jareth abruptly stated dryly and without another word, he strode away from them, his cape like a dark shadow.

Lili blinked in surprise at his violent reaction and followed him with her gaze. Her smile faded and she seemed to wilt. "I don't think this is a good idea," she whispered, bowing her head and unable to hide her sadness. In spite of herself she had had the stupid wish that he would dance with her, but now it seemed that he did not even want to see her. "He clearly doesn't want me there, Puck. I... will... not go..."

Puck sighed. His plan was going well, but why did Jareth had to be so... rude to her? Had he not realize how sweet and sensitive she was? He approached his friend.

"Of course you will!" the Fae exclaimed, placing his hand under her chin and gently forcing her to look at him. He smiled. "Listen to me, Young One. You do look beautiful and you will come with me tonight. You will see, we will have a great time together and every man present in the room will envy me," he said, his eyes twinkling merrily.

"Why?" Lili asked, puzzled, still not fully convinced.

His grin widened. "Well, for being with the most beautiful woman at the ball, of course!" he answered and, before that a flushed Lili could protest, he slid his arm under her own, holding her slender hand, and happily began to walk to the ball.

******

Surrounded by a dangerous aura, Jareth strode through the corridors toward the ballroom. He balled his hands into fists as he struggled to control his dark temper. 

How dare they... flirt like that in HIS presence? How dare Lucy ignore him -her King!-and call the Trickster... cute? She was his maid. She was his!

The Goblin King stopped dead in his tracks. What had he meant with that? 

Jareth stiffened and gasped in shock as he suddenly recognized the feeling and the reason of his anger. He was... jealous.

"THAT IS RIDICOULOUS!" he barked and taking a deep breath to calm himself, he decided to use his magic. He simply vanished.

******

"Wow!" Lili whispered in awe as they enter the elegant chamber. It was a huge room, surrounded by alabaster columns and the roof was, in fact, a dome completely made of crystal. 

She looked everything wide opened eyes. The ball had already begun and several couples were dancing in the center of the room; the ladies dressed in beautiful gowns and the men in elegant clothes.

"This is amazing," she added, allowing Puck to guide her inside.

"Yes it is," he agreed with a smile, already noticing the furtive glances the elven Lords gave his rose-like friend. He chuckled, but knowing how shy she was, he decided not to tell her. "As I told the 'gentle' Goblin King, this ball will be a complete success. Everyone who is anyone in the Underground is present here," He said, with the gossipy tone that Lili found so amusing. He became more serious and his eyes shone mischievously. "Now, Young One, let me introduce you to some interesting people."

"But what will you tell them?" Lili asked, a bit alarmed.

Puck laughed and slid his arm around her waist, as if he were stopping her from running away. "Well, the truth of course. That you are my friend!"

And so, Lili soon found herself talking with really interesting people: powerful sorcerers, Elven Lords, Fae like Puck, intelligent and beautiful Ladies and, to her delight, healers... like her. She enjoyed their company and they enjoyed hers. After a while, every one was asking who the mysterious Rose-Lady that had come with Puck was.

"Shall we dance, Young One?" he asked with a bow as a song started.

She chuckled and nodded. "It will be an honor," she said, taking his hand.

******

"Shall we dance, my friend?" Titania asked a quiet Jareth. They had been talking for a while on the other side of the room and, as the queen of Avalon had noted, the Goblin King had been unusually... distracted. "Jareth," she insisted and, as he didn't answer, she followed his gaze and a knowing smile played on her face as she saw the reason of his distraction: a Lady disguised as... a rose. 

"Do you know who is the Lady that is dancing with Puck?" she asked innocently. "Jareth?"

This time, he heard her and turned to her. "Pardon me, Titania?" he apologized with his best charming smile.

Her grin widened. "I was asking you if you knew the Lady that is dancing with Puck. You had been looking at her the whole night," she said, with the same tone as before.

"I was not looking at her!" Jareth exclaimed a bit loudly and then calmed himself. As annoying as it was, that had been exactly what he had been doing. The Trickster had dared to slide his arm around Lucy's waist! If Puck-- 

He stiffened as an idea suddenly occurred to him. What if Lucy... met someone... an Elf Lord or a Fae to whom her social status as a servant would not matter? What would he do then? Would he just... let her go?

__

*And why should I care?* Jareth thought darkly. _*She is only a servant. I can get another one at any time!*_

"Jareth!" An amused Titania repeated.

He blinked and shook himself. "Sorry, Titania. Yes, I know her. She is my... maid," he answered seriously, suddenly feeling like a child whose candy had been abruptly stolen. 

Titania tilted her head, a strange twinkle in her violet eyes. "Well, she does not appear to be a servant to me," she noted.

"No, she does not," Jareth said in a low voice, but quickly recovered himself. He smiled again and, gallantly, offered his arm to her. "Shall we dance?"

******

Puck gently made her friend sway across the room, fully aware of the murderous glances Jareth was giving him. Unable to stop himself, he laughed.

"What is it?" Lili asked, suspicious.

"Oh, nothing," Puck answered innocently, as he guided her toward the center...

******

In a couple of songs, Titania managed to take -the still distracted and annoyed- Jareth right where she wanted him... 

"May I?" someone suddenly, asked behind Jareth.

The Goblin King turned and smiled when he saw who it was. "Oberon," Jareth greeted him. "I was... entertaining your wife," he teased the powerful Fae.

Oberon just rolled his eyes, knowing that his friend would never do such a thing to him or Titania. "So I arrived just in time, it seems," he said, taking his beloved in his arms.

"Indeed," she whispered in his ear.

Oberon gave her a puzzled look.

Titania just smiled. "Would you excuse us?" she asked Jareth then.

As an answer, the Goblin King bowed.

They bowed in return and walked away.

Jareth followed his friends with his gaze and sighed. All his annoyance had turned into an unexplainable sadness. Feeling suddenly very alone, he turned to leave... when unexpectedly someone bumped rather violently into him...

******

"Puck, stop, you're going too fast!" Lili begged him, trying hard not to release his hand.

"Trust me, Young One," he said with a grin, and to Lili's alarm, he just let her hand go...

"No!" she exclaimed, panicked, unable to stop herself, completely convinced that she would fall. Fortunately for her, nothing happened as she bumped into someone, a tall someone who placed his hands on her arms to steady her.

Embarrassed beyond words, she raised her head to apologize, but when mismatched -and truly surprised- eyes met her gaze, she gasped in shock. 

"Your Majesty!"

******

"Can you tell me what is all this about, beloved?" a puzzled Oberon asked his wife, as he saw Jareth holding a flower-like Lady.

Titania laughed softly and -to her husband delight- she lay her head on his chest. "Would you like to hear a story, My Lord?"

****** 

As Jareth looked at her, he finally had to admit that this had been exactly what he had wanted to do during the whole ball... hold Lucy in his arms. Her innocent eyes stared intently at him, making his heart skip a beat. He mentally smiled, completely defeated. There was no point in denying it any longer... 

In spite of himself, he had fallen in love... with his maid. 

As he did not say a word, Lili assumed the worst, a quick visit to the Bog of Eternal Stench, to be precise. 

__

*What have you done, Puck?* she thought, annoyed and desperate. She bowed her head and a sad sigh left her mouth. "I... am sorry, your Majesty," she apologized in a low voice, "I... I will leave right now."

She quickly turned to go, but Jareth just did not release her. Puzzled, she looked at him again.

"I have not dismissed you, child," he said seriously, but with a strange glow in his eyes.

"I... am... sorry," she repeated, lowering her gaze for the second time, truly mortified by now.

"Lucy," Jareth began to say in a surprisingly tender voice. "Do not be sorry," he added, taking her chin in his hand and gently forcing her to look at him.

Lili blushed furiously, completely taken aback by his tone and by the gesture. "Do you... want me to... stay?" she asked in disbelief, her heart beating faster. "But you are angry with me," she stated, biting her lip, unable now to hide the sadness that caused her.

Jareth shook his head and smiled kindly. "Of course not, child. I thought you would be used to my bad temper by now..." He paused for a moment and, before that she could say another word, he slid his arm around her waist and gently pulled her closer. "But I do owe you an apology. You do look beautiful," he added softly. "Shall we dance, Lady Rose?"

Overwhelmed by the emotion, Lili opened her eyes wide and just kept staring blankly at him. Had he just called her... beautiful? Had he just asked her to... dance with him?

Seeing her startled gaze, Jareth chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Well? Do I have to make it an order?"

Lili finally smiled and shyly took her hand to his shoulder. "That will not be... necessary, your Majesty," she said softly. "I... want to dance... with you." 

Deeply touched by her obvious embarrassment, he tenderly held her free hand and, as he gently made her sway across the room, a song began...

__

There's such a sad love

Deep in your eyes, a kind of pale jewel

Open and close, within your eyes...

Lili opened her eyes wide as she realized it was his voice. His lips were not moving, but she knew it was him who was singing. 

"Just for you," he whispered with a charming grin.

Lili blushed even more -if that was possible- and smiled back, wondering if she was dreaming. She shook her head and decided that it did not matter; she would allow herself to be a dreamer tonight...

Oblivious to the other guests, they only danced... 

Once the song was over, they stopped and Jareth guided her to the balcony. They were greeted by the blue full moon and by the spectacular sight of the labyrinth bathed in its silvery light.

"It's so beautiful," Lili whispered in awe, as she leaned her hand on the handrail.

"Yes it is," he agreed, but he was not looking at the moon, he was staring at her. He smiled. "Lucy."

"Yes, your Majesty?" she asked, turning to him.

"Let me see you," he said, taking off his mask and, before that she could answer, he carefully removed her mask from her face. He made them disappear. "Better," he whispered and, very slowly, he leaned forward and kissed her on her lips...

Lili opened her eyes wide and stiffened, as she felt his lips against hers, but then, she closed her eyes and timidly returned the kiss, trembling... as Jareth kissed her for the very first time... in her life.

"I do not know how you did it, child," Jareth said softly, a moment later, as he hold her tenderly. "But you stole my heart."

Lili just listened to him, still shaking; her head leaned on his chest. She simply could not believe this was happening to her! He had kissed her! The Goblin King had kissed his... maid--

That sudden thought brought her abruptly back to reality. She froze in his embrace. To him, she was just his maid... but what was worst, as far as he was concerned, she was Sarah's sister!

Lili simply panicked as dreadful ideas assaulted her mind. There was no way he would love her!

"Lucy, what's wrong?" Jareth asked, feeling that her body had gone tense.

As an answer, Lili broke free from his embrace and looked at him with troubled, misty eyes. "I... I... This is so wrong," she whispered and without another word, she ran away, leaving a startled and worried Jareth behind.

******

Puck watched in surprised as his friend hurried out of the chamber, as if she were escaping from something... or someone. "Jareth," he muttered, shaking his head. Deeply concerned -and curious- he started after her. A slender hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"Don't," a soft but firm voice said. "Leave them alone."

Puck turned to Titania, a serious expression on his face. "But I..."

"Did I not tell you to be careful? Jareth went too fast. He scared her. But you should not worry, I have the feeling that our friends will be fine," she soothed him.

Puck just nodded, but his concern remained.

****** 

Lili ran, without looking back, until she reached the main entrance. All that she wanted to do was to leave the castle. She opened the heavy doors... and gasped in shock. Jareth was right there, waiting for her.

He walked toward her, forcing her backwards, until she had her back against the wall.

Unable to look at him, and fighting the tears, Lili bit her lip and bowed her head.

He looked intently at her for long minutes before talking. She seemed a child to him now more than ever. She was trembling, with her hands nervously clasped before her and he could tell she was about to cry. He sighed. Maybe he had pushed her too far.

"Why did you run away from me, child?" he asked softly, fighting the urge to touch her. She did not say a word, neither raised her gaze, but he knew the answer, though. She was simply... afraid. "Do not be scared, Lucy," he said, still without touching her.

"Oh, but I am, your Majesty," she admitted in a barely audible voice, clearly ashamed. "I... am."

"What is it that you fear?" he insisted, truly moved by her honesty.

Lili took a deep breath and looked up at him. She blushed and smiled sadly. "You," she said simply, tears falling from her eyes. "You will break my heart; of that I am certain."

Jareth stiffened at her answer. "Lucy, do you still not realize that I--"

"Please, your Majesty," Lili interrupted him, shaking her head. "Don't you see it? This is not me," she said, gesturing with her hands, indicating her elegant dress. "This is just a disguise. I am not a Lady... I... am only a... servant... who had the bad... luck to fall... for her... king..." 

She paused for a moment to try to control her sobs, still not believing she had just admitted her feelings for him. She braced herself. "Now... if you excuse me, I am tired." 

"You are so wrong," he said, drying her eyes and then placing his hands on her shoulders. "Do you really think so little of me to believe I will only be interested in... your dress?" he added in an offended tone.

Lili opened her eyes wide, but did not say a word. Could it be that he-- *_NO!*_ She shook hear head.

Sensing her inner struggle, Jareth smiled. "Lucy, I have had hundreds of servants and maids before you and, believe me, I never treated them as I have treated you... Or do you think I am so tolerant with every one?"

Lili actually had to smile at that and looked at him with a bemused raised eyebrow, but by the stories Puck had told her, and by what she had seen, she knew he was stating the truth. He had been a... perfect gentleman with her. "Generous," she whispered with a hint of mischief.

Jareth rolled his eyes, but his grin widened. "Yes, Lucy. Since the first time I saw you and since you first called me your Majesty, my heart went to you. I admit I did try to deny my feelings for you, but... they turned out to be too strong. I love you, child. Do you believe me, now?"

As an answer, Lili threw her arms around his neck and leaned her head on his chest. 

"I will take that as a yes," a relieved Jareth said, tenderly stroking her hair. "I love you," he repeated and then, unable to stop himself, he gently pulled her back... and kissed her for the second time in her life.

As he kissed her, Jareth unconsciously transported them to his room. However, he immediately regretted it as she abruptly bowed her head and started to shake. "I am so sorry," he said, as he carefully helped her to sit on his bed. "I should have not used magic on you. Are you all right?" he asked kneeling before her, a serious expression on his face.

After a couple of minutes, she raised her pale, but smiling face to him. "Yes, your Majesty... I just got dizzy, that's all. I... am allergic to magic, remember?"

The Goblin King smiled back, relieved, and then an amused twinkle appeared in his eyes. "I believe you can call me Jareth now," he said, taking her hands.

Lili blinked and flushed a bit. "As you wish... Jareth," she said softly and then, she tilted her head. "I guess I will take a time to get used to call you by your name," she added with a shy grin.

"I can give you the whole eternity," he whispered, leaning forward. "The whole eternity," he repeated, as his lips found hers.

As the kiss deepened and his hands began to slide down her shoulders removing the straps of her gown, Lili gasped and stiffened. Immediately he pulled back.

"Do not be afraid," he soothed her, tenderly stroking her now flushed face. "I would not do anything that you do not want me to."

She bit her lower lip and nervously played with a strand of hair. "No... it's okay... It's just that I... don't know... I mean I know... but I have... never... I..."

She just finished with a helpless shrug.

"I know that, child," he said softly, as he embraced her again. 

"I am... not afraid," Lili whispered and, to confirm her words, this time she kissed him... and melted against him...

******

Far away from there, in Avalon...

The crystalline waters showed the soon to be lovers. The blond King gently embraced the beautiful, redheaded young woman and--

The image abruptly disappeared.

"What!" Puck exclaimed, disappointed and annoyed.

A soft chuckle made him turn. When he saw who it was, his annoyance vanished and the mischievous grin returned to his handsome face. "Why did you do that, my Queen?" he asked, a petulant look on his face.

Titania smiled and raised a hand. "This moment is only for the Goblin King and for the human child, understood?" She said gently, but with a warning twinkle in her violet eyes.

"Of course, my Queen," Puck respectfully replied. "But... are you not a bit curious? After all, Lili is our friend and--"

"Puck," Titania interrupted him in a warning tone and then shook her head. "Yes. Lili is our friend. Do you truly believe she would like you to... spy on her?"

"I guess not," the Trickster said innocently.

Titania rolled her eyes and walked away... but she had to admit that she was a bit curious too.

Puck let out a sigh and folded his arms across his chest. "I am really happy for you, Lili... but when will I get some fun?" he muttered, as he floated cross-legged.

As an answer, a musical voice suddenly spoke. "Oh... Puck..."

He blinked and smiled mischievously. "Coming, my sweet lady," he said. Not one to waste time, he vanished.

******

Back in the castle, several hours later...

Jareth lovingly watched the redheaded woman sleeping by his side. She had her head resting on his chest and her hand on his shoulder. He still could not believe he had been so blind. No. It had been his stupid pride. Why had he not allowed himself to accept the feelings he knew he had for her? "Well, now you are mine," he said softly, carefully running his hand through her short hair. "Maybe I can convince you to let your beautiful hair grow," he added, as he watched the red strands slid trough his fingers. "I can be pretty persuasive, you know."

She stirred a little and snuggled against him, a small grin playing on her face.

Jareth stroked her cheek and then lowered his hand to her shoulder. "Are you dreaming of me, child?" he asked in a whisper. He smiled tenderly as he said to himself that she was not a child anymore. "Not at all," he added, a bit wickedly, as he recalled how she had -pleasantly- surprised him once she had overcome her fear and shyness... His eyes twinkled.

It was clear to him now that there was so much more about her that he needed to know... and so much Lucy had to learn about him. He needed to demonstrate to her that he was not just a bad tempered king... or a 'big spoiled child', as she had once put it.

Suddenly an idea occurred to him. There was something very precious to her that he had taken away the first time they met. In a blink of an eye a glowing crystal materialized in his hand... her memory sphere. He smiled in delight; its glow was more intense than ever... but then, his grin faded and guilt raised within him as he remembered how much it had frightened her when he had cast that spell on her. He shook his head. 

"Never again, love." 

At his unspoken command, the crystal moved toward her forehead and softly entered her head. She stiffened slightly, but then she relaxed again. Pleased, he held her tightly; he could already picture her surprised expression when she learned her family remembered her again, that they would just believe that she was travelling...

Yes, she would be so happy...

He kissed her forehead and let out a content sigh. Never in his life had a woman made him feel so loved and whole. And, never in his life, he had loved someone so much... not even Sarah. In fact, now he realized what he had felt for Sarah had been just an infatuation... Nothing to do with the strong emotion he felt for the woman lying by his side. 

"We are soul mates, beloved" he breathed, and after giving her a last tender kiss, he felt asleep.

******

__

"We are soul mates, beloved..."

With those amazing words echoing in her head, and feeling a strange weight in her arm, Lili slowly opened her eyes a couple of hours later. She blinked and the first thing she saw was Jareth's blond hair. He was curled up against her, and had his head on her arm. She smiled and blushed furiously as she thought of what had happened last night... and how she had behaved!

"Thanks God for Anatomy class," she whispered, but that made her flush even more. Hey, it was one thing to study and read about it, but to experience it was simply... overwhelming. 

She took her hand to his head and gently began to strike his hair.

Feeling his hands caressing her body and hearing his tender words had been... magic.

Now she fully understood her friends' comments and Sarah's words. You will find your soul mate, Little one, her sister had said. At that time, Lili had not believed her, but now... well, the most handsome -and bad tempered- man she had ever met, was embracing her!

"I love you so much, your Majesty," she said softly, kissing his head. "So much, Jareth" she repeated and she could not help but smile in delight when she thought about the loving way he had said her name and--

Lili stiffened and suddenly descended from her blissful cloud as she abruptly realized... he had never said her name. Not even once...

She sighed deeply and had to fight the tears that had formed in her eyes. He didn't know the truth about her... that she was Sarah's sister.

Lili bit he lip and carefully rolled on her side, so as not to wake him.

What would she do now? She was afraid to tell him... but she knew that he would learn the truth sooner or later... and, besides, she just could not live in a lie. It was one thing for a maid to lie to her employer, but now—

She suddenly stopped as a question occurred to her. What were they now? 

Lili smiled sadly. She would gladly give up her dream of becoming a doctor for him... or the possibility of ever seeing her family again... But would he be able to forget his revenge for her? Can a night of love overcome twenty-two years of hate? Would he--

Jareth, who slid his arm around her waist to embrace her tightly, abruptly interrupted her thoughts.

Lili blinked in surprise, but then relaxed and trembled in delight. Maybe she was overreacting. True, she knew Jareth would get terribly mad-- but then, he was always mad, wasn't he?

If he truly loved her, he would understand. What mattered though, was that she must tell him the truth... and the best time to do it would be when he awoke... preferably with a delicious breakfast.

Feeling a little better, and trying to ignore her rising unsettlement -and fear-, Lili gently managed to free herself from his grasp and silently rise. She picked up his black robe, put it on, and after a last look at her beloved, she went to the bathroom to take a warm shower.

*******

With his eyes closed and with the grin still on his face, he extended his arm to hold her, but to his disappointment, the only thing he found was a pillow. Jareth opened his eyes and confirmed that she was not there. Stifling a yawn, he sat and leaned back on the headboard. It was then when his gaze was drawn to a golden object over the bed. He smiled and picked it up; it was Lucy's jewel. Curious, he looked at it. The medal had the image of the Mother and the Child in one side and, to his surprise, the other side had an inscription. His grin widened as he read it. _Be happy little one._

"And you will be, I shall see to it," he whispered tenderly, leaving the medal on the nightstand. 

A couple of minutes passed and, as she did not return, he tilted his head and folded his arms across his chest. Where was that child? He blinked and the grin returned to his face as he realized, that in spite of everything, he still thought of her as a child. Suddenly, a mischievous glow twinkled in his mismatched eyes as an idea occurred to him. Maybe now that he had returned her the memory crystal, his magic would be able to locate her. Not sparing a moment, he raised his hand and a sphere materialized on his palm.

"Show me my love," he commanded in a soft voice.

His grin widened as the sphere complied. The image of his redheaded young love appeared. She clearly had taken a shower and now she had her hair wet and she wore his black robe, but what really had made him smile, was the fact that she carried a tray with his breakfast! Did she still not know what he wanted for her? He just rolled his eyes.

Then, realizing that she was about to enter, he quickly extinguished the sphere. He had the feeling that she would not be very happy to know that he had been... looking at her like that. As the door opened, he struggled to keep the impish grin from his face.

******

Lili silently opened the door, but to her disappointment, he was seated on the bed.

"Hi, I wanted to surprise you," she said, leaving the tray over a table and opening the curtains. She gasped in delight; the sun was setting and the labyrinth was bathed in a reddish light.

"Oh, but you did surprise me, child," he said in his deep, seductive voice, as he watched, fascinated, how the light reflected like fire on her red hair. "Come here," he said then, extending his arm to her.

Lili smiled and approached him. She took his hand and Jareth gently pulled her down toward him, holding her waist with his free arm. "There is no reason for you to keep doing this," he said, cradling her against his chest.

A blushed Lili raised her head and looked up at him. "What? Lying on top?" she asked innocently.

He looked at her with a bemused raised eyebrow. "What did you do with my Lucy?" he teased her and then rolled his eyes and smiled. "Lucy, you know what I mean. You are not my maid anymore."

Lili became serious and looked intently at him. "Then... what am I to you, your Majesty?" she asked softly.

His eyes slightly widened at her question. "Well, my Queen, of course," he answered in his deep voice. He was about to kiss her again, but she broke free from his embrace and rose.

"Lucy, what--"

"Please, no. I have something to tell you first," she interrupted him as she went to get the tray and carefully placed it on his lap.

Jareth just stared blankly at the food and then at her. What kind of reaction was that? He had just... proposed to her and she... brought him breakfast! "Lucy, what's wrong?" he asked.

As an answer, she began to pace up and down the room. "I have to tell you something," she repeated, without stopping. "Something very important," she added, clearly nervous. "Something that--"

Jareth blinked, left the tray on a side, put on his black pants and then vanished... to materialize just before her.

Lili gasped in surprise as she bumped into him.

"You're cold!" he exclaimed, as he held her hands. "What is it?" he asked, truly worried now. 

She swallowed. "Do you really, really love me?" she asked, deadly serious, her eyes strangely sad.

Jareth's eyes widened at the question. "You know the answer to that, child," he said softly.

Lili shook her head. "Please, tell me," she insisted.

Jareth smiled. "I love you, Lucy."

A small grin played on her face, but then she became serious again. She took a deep breath and, to his surprise, she went a step back. "Jareth, what I... will tell you probably will upset you... a bit, "she began to say. "Okay, here goes nothing," she muttered, clasping her hands tightly. I... I... I am Lili Williams. Sarah is my sister," she said at last, never taking her troubled gaze away from his...

******

__

(Sarah is my sister...)

Jareth's smile faded and he could only stare at her in utter shock. Time just seemed to stop for him and, slowly, a cold shield began to wrap his heart.

"Jareth?" Lili timidly insisted at his silence, her heart shrinking at the sudden look in his eyes.

"This is not funny, Lucy," he finally exploded, in his full Goblin King mode, all the tenderness gone from his voice. "Tell me you are lying!" he ordered her, grabbing her arm.

Lili shivered. For a second, she was tempted to tell him she was joking, but gathering her courage, she decided against it. She shook her red head and sighed, defeated. 

"Sarah is my sister. The girl you showed me that day is the real Lucy, Sarah's maid," she quickly explained, trying in vain to ignore the pain his grasp was causing her and her rising fear. Every hope she had had that he would understand, was vanishing. "I--" 

Jareth paled as the truth began to sink in. Now everything made sense. Now he knew why he had not been able to locate Lili Williams. It had been his own spell that had protected her! 

"Shut up!" he barked, tightening his grasp until his nails dug into her flesh, causing her arm to bleed. 

He had trusted her, how could it be that she had deceived him in such a horrible way? How could have she done such a thing to him! She was worst than Sarah had ever been!

"You're hurting me!" a now terrified Lili exclaimed.

Jareth glared at her. Blinded by the pain and rage –and with his pride hurt beyond belief- he did not see his love anymore, he saw his enemy's sister and what was worse, he saw a traitor... and a liar. 

"You betrayed me!" he stated, disgusted, rudely throwing her to the floor. "YOU BETRAYED ME!" he yelled, his body glowing in anger. "YOU BETRAYED ME!" 

So powerful was his scream, all the crystals of the castle exploded and a furious storm began across the entire kingdom. 

"No! I never betrayed you!" Lili exclaimed loudly, desperate, looking up at him in disbelief, shaking. Was this the same man she had slept with? She knew she had hurt him, but this was too much. How could her dream have turned into such a nightmare? How could he have turned into such a... monster? She balled her hands into fists. 

She painfully rose and shook her head. "Please, understand... You just appeared out of nowhere... I was scared! Please, Jareth forgive me. I--"

"Silence! What you did is beyond forgiveness!" he thundered, in the edge of losing control. "Do not ever dare to mention my name again! You are only a servant! 

She stared at him, wide opened eyes. "But... but... you said... you loved... me," she whispered like a child whose promise had been broken to. "And I... do love you," she added, her heart shattered into million pieces. 

For a brief second, his gaze seemed to soften, but he recovered quickly; he would not fall into her game again. He laughed harshly. "Well I guess I lie. How does it feel?" he spat. "Now, clean this mess," he ordered darkly. "I shall decide what to do with you later."

With that, he stormed out of the chamber.

Once alone, too shock to cry and emotionally drained, Lili just remain frozen in place, her head bowed, until one word screamed in her head, waking her up. 

RUN! 

******

Jareth materialized in the Escher room, his eyes blazing in anger and pain. He fell to his knees and violently hit the floor with his fists. How he could have been so blind? How he could have been so foolish? HOW!

She had dared to deceive him! 

He opened his eyes wide and froze as a sudden, horrible, humiliating thought occurred to him. What if she had planned everything... with the Trickster's help? 

How much they must have laughed at his expense!

At that, Jareth simply lost the little control he had left. His body tense and he screamed, his powerful rage felt all over the Underground... 

"LILI!"

******

Oblivious to the sharp stones that hurt her feet and to the branches that tore at her skin, Lili ran through the labyrinth. She was soaked and frozen, wrapped only in Jareth's black robe and she had nowhere to go, but she did not care. She just wanted to run away from him. 

Her heart was broken beyond cure and her soul was simply too tired...

Suddenly, she stumbled with a root and painfully fell to the ground. Panicked, she tried to rise, but her foot was trapped. 

It was then when an incredibly loud thunder roared... her name!

She looked up... only to see a lightning striking the nearest tree.

"NO, JARETH!" she exclaimed, raising her arms in a protective way... and then... everything went black.

******

__

"NO, JARETH!"

That desperate plea went right through his wrath and suddenly awoke him. 

The Goblin king stiffened and, in spite of himself, a deep concern raised within him. However, he rose and shook his head, annoyed, and decided to simply ignore her. Why should he... worry about... a traitor? 

As the anger returned to him, he balled his hands into fists and began to pace. 

Yes, she had betrayed him in the cruelest way. She had pretended to be someone else and she had--

Jareth abruptly stopped dead in his tracks as a wave of pain suddenly shot his body. So strong it was, that he had to lean on the wall for support. Seconds later, it passed. He shook his head, as he stood straight again. He braced himself. The pain had disappeared, but the dreadful feeling he had experienced a moment ago had grown stronger...

Unable to stop himself, he materialized a crystal to see her, just to assure himself she had cleaned his room... but when he saw the requested image, he froze in shock and the magical object just fell from his hand. 

Her sweet, but desperate voice now echoed in his head and in his heart... 

("Do you really, really love me?")

(But you said... you loved me")

("And I do... love you")

It was then when he finally understood...

He was the real traitor.

******

Slowly, Lili opened her eyes and was not surprised to see branches and leaves covering her. She tried to move, but it was useless. For a brief moment she wondered why there was no pain, but soon the answer hit her. Being a med student, it was clear to her. She was paralyzed. She also noticed each time it was more difficult to breathe... perhaps one of her lungs was damaged... 

Lili smiled sadly... so this was how it felt... to be dying...

As strange as it was, she was not afraid. Maybe this was for the better... because what other choice did she have? 

Jareth hated her now and he would surely use her against her dearest sister...

Not even Puck would be able to help her... 

"Sarah," she whispered, closing her eyes again, just waiting for the end... She was so incredibly tired...

******

Jareth silently appeared in the rose garden... or in what was left of it, after the violent storm. He had to bite his lip to keep himself from screaming when he saw the helpless figure crushed by a fallen tree. He approached and, with a wave of a hand, the tree immediately vanished, revealing his beloved's injured body. She was deathly pale, her skin covered with bruises and scratches and she was bleeding in several areas.

"What have I done," he muttered in despair, kneeling by her side. He carefully checked her pulse and let out a relieved sigh. She was still alive. Barely. Gently, he picked her up and rose. It was then when she opened her eyes and fixed her hopeless -and scared- gaze upon him. 

"Lili..." was all that he could say.

A single tear slid down her cheek. "Why... do you... hate.... Me... if I... love you... so much?" she whispered in a barely audible voice... before she was lost to consciousness again.

That was too much for Jareth. He could not stop his own tears. "I am so very sorry, my love," he said as he transported them back to the castle and to his room.

In the blink of an eye, the chamber was clean again. Very carefully, he lay her atop his bed and began to chant a healing spell. After a moment it ended and her wounds were all gone, but Jareth knew it was not enough. No. She had been too close to death; there was something else that needed to be done... 

In order to save her, he would have to reorder time...

"Do not worry, beloved," he whispered, tenderly removing a strand of hair out of her face. "You will not remember anything... but I..."

He just could not finish the sentence. 

Shaking himself, he took the final step. He bent over her and, as he cast the last spell, he kissed her lips. Slowly, her body began to fade... until she was completely gone.

Consumed by guilt, grief-stricken and exhausted, Jareth just collapsed on his bed... but not before whispering one last word...

"Lili."

******

"What have you done, Goblin King!" Titania exclaimed, horrified, taking both hands to her mouth, as she watched in disbelief through the crystalline waters of Avalon.

"I will kill him!" Puck yelled angrily, balling his hands into fists.

"You will not interfere," Titania ordered him, turning to face him. "Do not interfere," she repeated sadly. "Or do you think Lili would want you to harm him?"

That seemed to calm the enraged Fae. Puck sighed and shook his head. "It was my fault. How could I have been so wrong? I should have been there to protect her! I promised her!"

Titania smiled gently. "You could have done nothing, Puck. No. We all knew he would get angry when the truth was revealed to him... Including Lili. She took a great risk in telling him..."

"And she lost," Puck interrupted her.

The queen of Avalon shook her head. "No. Jareth does love her... Unfortunately he realized that... too late."

"This cannot be the end, my queen!" Puck exclaimed, desperate, raising his hands.

"The future is not written in the stars," a sad Titania soothed him.

****************************************************************

Epilogue...

__

("I am so very sorry, my love...")

("Do not worry, beloved, you will forget everything...")

("Lili...")

("Lili!")

"LILI!"

Lili stirred and opened her eyes... only to find Sarah and Michael looking worriedly at her.

"Sarah, what..."

"Thank God you are fine!" Sarah exclaimed, striking her cheek like she used to do when she was a little girl.

"You give us a big fright, girl," Michael added gently.

Lili blinked, puzzled, and only then she realized she was on her bed and that she had a cool cloth on her forehead. "What happened?" she asked, feeling strange... like something was missing.

"What's the last thing you remember, little one?" Sarah asked, sitting by her side.

Lili bit her lip. "I was picking up... the cookies Lucy dropped..."

"Well, and that was exactly where I found you, unconscious, lying on the floor, wearing a black robe."

Lili blinked in surprise. "Unconscious? A... black robe?"

Sarah nodded and was about to ask her something else -especially about the robe's owner-, but when she saw her sister's tired eyes, she decided against it. Instead, Sarah smiled and patted Lili's arm. To her surprise, Lili almost jump. 

"It hurts," the redheaded explained apologetically.

"Let me see it," Sarah said and gasped in surprise when she saw four parallel scars.

"I don't know how I make them those," Lili said with a shrug. "Maybe playing with Toby, you know how childish he can be sometimes."

Sarah and Michael chuckled. "Anyway, I'm glad you're okay, now we will leave you so you can rest."

Lili smiled. "Thank you... and Sarah... I love you."

"I love you too, little one," the brunette answered sweetly.

With a last smile, Sarah and Michael walked out of the room.

Once alone, instead of sleeping, Lili rose from her bed and went to the balcony. She grinned at the sight of the roses...

White roses?

She blinked and tilted her head... Why did those flowers made her feel... so strange?

She shrugged and distractedly looked her room, until her gaze was drawn to the black robe Sarah had mentioned before. Puzzled, as she had never owned one like it, Lili went to get it. She picked it up. It was big, its owner must be very tall and--

Suddenly, the room began to spin and a headache seemed to tear her apart. Shaking, she fell to her knees... and it was then... when she remembered... a name. 

__

JARETH! 

******

Two weeks went by and Sarah watched Lili with concern; her little sister seemed to wilt with each passing day. Lili rarely smiled now and, even though she tried to act as if nothing had happened, Sarah knew that was not the case. No, something was definitely wrong with Lili, her eyes were so incredibly sad and opaque and she was so pale...

By the end of the second week, Sarah could not stand it any more and, is spite of Lili's protests; she took her beloved sister to the doctor, who performed several exams on her.

"This was not necessary, Sarah," Lili told her, as they waited for the results of her tests.

"Sarah put her magazine down and gave Lili her best older sister look. "Believe me, Lili, it was." Then she smiled, "And, you know, it isn't wise to contradict pregnant women. Besides, as a future doctor, you can consider this a field practice."

Lili chuckled. "Well, one thing is for sure, if I ever have my own consulting room, I will keep the latest magazines. This one is five years old!"

This time it was Sarah's turn to chuckle.

Ten minutes later, the assistant told them to enter the doctor's office.

"Please, have a seat," the kind looking man invited them. "So," he began, "I am glad to say nothing is wrong with you, Lili." 

Lili nodded and gave her sister a what-have-I-told-you glance.

"However," he continued, "in your present condition, I will prescript you vitamins and a calcium supplement."

"Condition? What condition?" Lili and Sarah asked at the same time.

The Doctor smiled, gave a meaningful look at Sarah's round stomach and then fixed his gaze upon the redheaded young woman.

"Well, you are pregnant. My guess is that you have two weeks. Congratulations."

******

Far away from there, in another world...

A blueheaded woman blinked in surprise as she heard the words of the human healer. A tender grin played on her face. She touched the crystalline waters and rose from the stone she had been seated.

"Quite unexpected," Titania whispered in awe. "So the end turned out to be only the beginning..."

FIN


End file.
